This morning on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Greg James revealed that Lewis Capaldi, The 1975, Raye, Niall Horan, Anne-Marie and Arlo Parks are the first acts set to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023 which will be held in Dundee from 26 to 28 May.
Camperdown Park will play host to Radio 1’s flagship live music event with over 80,000 music fans expected to attend the three day festival, over the late May bank holiday weekend.
The first artists to be announced are (in alphabetical order):
• Anne-Marie
• Arlo Parks
• Lewis Capaldi
• Niall Horan
• Raye
• The 1975
Radio 1’s Big Weekend kicks off the UK’s festival season by bringing some of the biggest UK and international artists to cities that may not otherwise host such a large scale event, shining a light on the local area and providing a major boost to the local economy. There is always a huge demand for tickets, with the festival selling out within minutes every year.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend was originally set to go to Dundee in 2020 but due to the Covid-19 Pandemic it was unable to go ahead. This year, the BBC is working closely with Dundee City Council to put on Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023.
Lewis Capaldi says: “I’m very excited to be playing in Dundee for Big Weekend, I never managed to get tickets last time so I’m very excited to be able to come along and enjoy it as well as playing.”
The 1975 say: “We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Dundee for our first outdoor show of the year!”
Niall Horan says: “I can’t wait to kick off festival season at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023 in Dundee. See you all there!”
Arlo Parks says: “Can’t wait to be at this year’s Big Weekend! What a joy to perform for you guys in Scotlandddd”
Greg James, Radio 1 Breakfast Show host, says: “We were gutted not to come to Dundee due to the pandemic so it’s massively exciting to finally fulfil our promise this year. I was on holiday close to Dundee in the summer and decided I wanted to move there so doing Big Weekend nearby is just the first part of my cunning plan to get out of London. I’m glad Radio 1 have fallen for it.”
John Alexander, Dundee City Council leader, says: “This is an incredible opportunity for Dundee and we are looking forward to hosting such an exciting event at Camperdown Park after the disappointment of 2020’s cancellation.
“Radio 1’s Big Weekend will showcase Dundee not only to the tens of thousands of people who attend, but also the millions who will watch and listen through the BBC. We expect a huge economic boost for the area as the event has been worth millions of pounds to previous host locations.”
Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, says: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend always delivers the biggest and hottest artists from around the World and what better place to bring them than Dundee! We’ve got some brilliant ideas for the event this year and a few special guests who we’ll be bringing along to celebrate with us!”
Further information about Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2023, including the 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 across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and BBC Sounds.
Source: BBC