Radio 1's Big Weekend

BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (previously known as One Big Weekend, Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is an annual music festival hosted by the UK's renowned radio station. Annually, this event takes place in a different British location, and it was Europe's largest free-admission music festival until 2018 when tickets became available at a small cost. As always, audiences can expect to experience performances from countless emerging talents!

The festival is an evolution of Radio 1's "One Big Sunday." From 2000 to 2002, a vibrant roadshow was held every Sunday in various towns throughout the summer. These events were always free of charge and ticketless, usually taking place near beaches or large parks. This event traces back to 1973 when it began as the Radio 1 Roadshow that toured nationwide consistently throughout the 90s.

Historically, Radio 1's "One Big Weekend" was held twice a year, the last occurring in 2004. Since then, however, it has been moved to an annual event and usually occurs during May, apart from 2012 when it took place over June 23-24 at Hackney East London instead.

Over the years, the format of this event has significantly evolved - from one tent to up to six stages. Since 2013, it has steadily included a primarily outdoor setting, a tented second stage for more prominent acts, and a smaller third stage dedicated exclusively to new talent courtesy of BBC Introducing.

Initially, the festival featured a whole day devoted to dance music and another focused on bands. However, from 2006 onwards, these two days were replaced by back-to-back nights of bands in some years, with an 'Outdoor Stage' playing electronic music returning between 2007 and 2012. This style was once again used for 2013's event in Northern Ireland when Friday night became dedicated to electronic music; this has been the approach ever since.

Scheduled for the 22nd - 24th of May 2020, The Big Weekend took place in Dundee and made Camperdown Park the first park to host this event twice. Unfortunately, it had to be moved virtually due to global circumstances beyond its control, such as COVID-19. To ensure everyone's safety and health, The 2021 Big Weekend is also taking on a virtual format.

After a three-year break, Radio 1's Big Weekend was finally returning to its live form in 2022. Coventry became the host city for this special occasion between 27 and 29 May.