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.
MUNA have officially shared full details of their long awaited fourth studio album, Dancing On The Wall, which is scheduled to arrive on May 8.
The news comes with the release of the record’s title track and its accompanying official video, giving fans their first real look at what the trio’s new chapter sounds and feels like.
To mark the occasion, the group are planning a run of intimate underplay performances in Los Angeles, New York and London during release week. It will be a special opportunity to catch MUNA up close before they step back onto larger stages later this year.
Opening up about the project, the band described the title song as a standout moment within their body of work.
They shared: “Dancing On The Wall is possibly our favorite song we’ve made as a band. We think it’s all the best parts of MUNA – it’s coming from a really emotional and lonely place, but the song itself makes us feel powerful and euphoric. It’s written in the moment that the clock strikes midnight at the ball, and you have to give up the fantasy. In this case, it’s the fantasy of loving someone or something that can’t love you back.”
The 13 song album was produced by Naomi McPherson, allowing the band to take full creative ownership of the sound and direction. It is a project that pulls listeners straight to the dancefloor while still keeping its vulnerability front and center.
MUNA, made up of Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin alongside McPherson, have continued to build momentum over the years and were personally chosen by Harry Styles as the opening act for his first solo tour. Since then, they have also performed with Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, in addition to sharing bills with Lorde, boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers.
Dancing On The Wall follows their 2022 self titled album, which marked their first release as independent artists after signing to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records in 2021.
Fans can stream the title track across all major platforms now. For tickets to MUNA’s upcoming shows, visit laylo.com/whereismuna/m/munatour.
Dancing On The Wall tracklisting:
It Gets So Hot
Dancing On The Wall
Eastside Girls
Wannabeher
On Call
So What
Party’s Over
Big Stick
Mary Jane
Girl’s Girl
…Unless
Why Do I Get A Good Feeling
Buzzkiller
