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.
NEWS
Brad Paisley has called Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding “one of the least pretentious weddings he’s ever seen”.
The country star attended the ceremony alongside his actress wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. They joined around 1,000 guests at New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month as the global pop icon married the American football star.
Although the celebration attracted enormous attention and involved tight security and a stunning makeover of the famous arena, Paisley said the occasion never came across as excessive.
“Ironically, (it) was one of the least pretentious weddings that I've ever seen or ever will see,” Paisley told The Associated Press during an interview. “It meant a lot to be (invited). It was, kind of, a big thank you from her to invite us.”
Paisley, who chose Swift as an opening performer for his tour when she was a teenager in 2007, said he was delighted to be included in what many considered the biggest celebrity wedding of the year.
“They were very clear with the invite, and I took this personally when I got the invite, because in the invite, it said, ‘If you're getting this, you mean a lot to us,’” he revealed.
The musician also explained that guests were not told the wedding’s exact location until the date drew nearer.
“It was really fun to watch the cat and mouse game of, like, ‘We can tell you roughly where it's going to be, we're not gonna say what building... and here's the date. If you're in, we'll tell you more,’” he continued. “I went to my wife, I said, ‘Want to go?’ and she said, ‘Absolutely, we gotta be there!’ So, we did it, it was RSVP yes.”
Other famous attendees included Brad Pitt, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, Hugh Grant, Haim and Tom Hanks.
