NEWS
BBC Radio 1 has announced the first line-up and location for its 2025 edition of Big Weekend – find all the details below.
This year’s edition of the station’s annual festival is due to take place at Sefton Park in Liverpool from Friday May 23 to Sunday May 25.Throughout the weekend, around 100 acts – from the biggest artists in the world to exciting new and emerging names – will perform across four stages: Radio 1 Main Stage, Radio 1 New Music Stage, Radio 1 Dance and BBC Introducing.
Sam Fender has been confirmed as the first headliner, with the singer-songwriter set to release his third album ‘People Watching’ on February 21.
He is joined on the Big Weekend bill by Blossoms, Lola Young, Wet Leg and BRITs Rising Star 2025 winner Myles Smith. The latter artist was also shortlisted for BBC Radio 1’s Sound Of 2025 recently.
Young, meanwhile, landed her first-ever UK Number One single last week with her viral hit ‘Messy’.
Fender said: “Excited to announce we’re coming to Liverpool for Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May. Thanks for inviting us – see you there!”
Blossoms explained: “We’re delighted that Radio 1 have invited us to play at this year’s Big Weekend.
“Even more so because it’s taking place in Liverpool, a city close to our hearts, where we’ve worked and recorded every single one of our albums since our debut in 2016. It’s going to be a really special weekend and we can’t wait to perform.”
Young added: “I can’t wait to play Radio 1’s Big Weekend. It’s going to get Messy! Me + the Liverpool crowd = One Big Weekend… see what I did there!!”
Radio 1 DJ Greg James said: “FINALLY…Radio 1 HAS COME BACK…to Liv…er…pooool!
“The last time I was there I was doing a big game of Hide and Seek and was hidden in the Liver building for a week so it’ll be nice to see some daylight and enjoy it properly this time.
“We can’t wait to bring the biggest artists in the world to this brilliant city in May. Everyone’s going to LOVE the line-up!”
Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, commented: “We’re thrilled to bring Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025 to Liverpool. Liverpool’s vibrant music scene and rich history make it the perfect setting for this iconic event.
“With incredible artists already announced and more to be announced in the coming months, it’s set to be an unmissable weekend.”
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, explained: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend has found the perfect home this year in Liverpool. Our music, our audiences and our history of delivering world-class major events add up to what is certain to be an incredible three days this May.”
Further information about Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025, including headliners and full line-up and ticketing details will be announced on Radio 1 in the coming months.
BBC Radio 1 will broadcast live from the festival site across the weekend, with performances and tracks available live and on-demand via Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and BBC Sounds.
Liverpool’s Sefton Park previously hosted Blossoms’ historic COVID pilot show in 2021. Additionally, the city staged the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
Last year’s Big Weekend took place in Luton, with performances from the likes of Coldplay, Vampire Weekend and RAYE.
Sam Fender recently shared a new single, ‘Arm’s Length’, and will play some huge UK stadium concerts this summer.
Faith No More appear to be hinting at a return to the stage in 2027.
The influential alt-metal band have remained mostly quiet over the past decade following the release of their reunion album ‘Sol Invictus’ in 2015. After its arrival, they played what would become their most recent live performances in 2016 and later called off several touring plans in the years that followed.
Now, however, they seem to be preparing fans for something new. The group recently shared an image of a concert crowd on social media with nothing more than the text “2027” placed across it.
No additional information accompanied the post, but it quickly sparked speculation among fans, many of whom believe a full scale tour announcement could be coming next year.
After wrapping up their 2016 run of shows, the band intended to return to the road in 2020. Those plans were ultimately abandoned because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further touring plans surfaced in 2021 as venues began reopening, but those dates were also cancelled before they could begin. Frontman Mike Patton later explained that mental health struggles were behind the decision and revealed he had been diagnosed with agoraphobia during the pandemic.
Until recently, a reunion seemed unlikely. Patton spoke about Faith No More’s lengthy break and said that he did not “see it as a sad thing”.
Speaking on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast and reflecting on whether he felt a “sense of closure” after the 2016 tour, the vocalist said: “I didn’t really think so at the time, but, yeah, maybe. I think that we all kind of felt it, but it was unspoken.”
“It’s funny: when you’ve been in a band or a musical situation for a period of time, you always, in the back of your head, you’re kind of thinking, ‘Well, maybe this is it.’ And I don’t mind that feeling,” he added. “I don’t see it as a sad thing. I see it as being present and being able to really appreciate it while it’s happening.”
Faith No More have never formally announced a breakup following the cancellation of their 2021 tour, although other members have suggested in recent years that the chances of touring again were uncertain.
Last year, guitarist Roddy Bottum discussed the band's future and admitted they were in a “really weird spot”. “I can’t really tell you what’s going on. I don’t know myself. I get different information from people… and I’m in the band,” he said.
Drummer Mike Bordin echoed similar thoughts last spring, saying that he and some of the other members were willing to perform again, but claimed Patton was “unwilling to do shows with us”.
In addition to leading Faith No More since 1989 after replacing original singer Chuck Mosley, Patton has also been involved with projects including Mr Bungle, Fantômas, and Tomahawk.
Tomahawk recently unveiled plans for their first tour in 13 years, with a series of US dates scheduled for this summer. The run begins in Nashville next month and will also see Patton and his bandmates reunite with longtime labelmates Melvins for the first time since 2003.
Patton has also recently launched his tour with Avett Brothers and teamed up with Jehnny Beth on the new single ‘Look At Me’.
