NEWS
Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande
Courtesy PhotoA trio of superstar collaborations came to close out the year, starting with Elton John and Ed Sheeran wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” with their cozy carol. The song appears on the “Christmas Edition” of Sheeran’s Billboard 200-topping album =, with all profits from the holiday season benefiting the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Contrary to the title of Netflix’s upcoming film Don’t Look Up, which is about a comet hurtling toward Earth and threatening to destroy all of mankind, Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi encourage listeners to “Just Look Up” in their shimmering (and slightly dark) ballad about how nothing else matters other than being with a loved one when the end of the world is near.
And Justin Bieber and Juice WRLD reminisce on a lust-filled euphoric adventure in the City of Angels on “Wandered to LA,” which arrives a week before the late rapper’s second posthumous studio album Fighting Demons.
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Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
