By Jenny Dean
We are the chosen ones! The BBC have revealed Sunderland to be the host city for their 2026 edition of their Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival, and we couldn’t be more buzzing.
The festival, which has been running in a different city every year since its inception in 2003, hasn’t been to Sunderland since its third year, and as we celebrate the Sunderland Year of Music, alongside becoming an official worldwide recognised Music City, the Big Weekends return to our city couldn’t have come at a better time.
Frankie Francis, officer for Sunderland Music City, is particularly pleased with the news:
“This is a generational moment for the music sector in Sunderland. The last time this event occurred here it shifted the culture in Sunderland. This time, our ecosystem is much better placed to build on its legacy.”
Sunderland was awarded music city status early this year, and is only the second city in the UK alongside Manchester to have been given the title. It joins international cities such as Berlin and Sydney within the Music Cities Network, and we have seen incredible growth in both the frequency and size of the opportunities we have been given as a city since receiving the status.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend will return to Herrington Park on 22-24 May 2026. The lineup is yet to be revealed, but previous iterations of the festival have seen headliners such as Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Lewis Capaldi, as well as local Newcastle lad Sam Fender headlining last year at Sefton Park, Liverpool, with many speculating that he will make a return to the stage for 2026, considering the Tyne and Wear connection.
I myself attended the 2023 edition of the festival in Camperdown Park, Dundee, where The 1975 headlined, and managed to catch another local lad, Tom A. Smith on the BBC Introducing stage. Now the question is, which up and coming artists will be chosen to play the Introducing stage this time, and who would you like to see represent our local scene?
It was local musician Alex Winn from the band Swindled who made the official announcement live on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean Swindled is guaranteed a spot on the lineup, it certainly alludes to them having the chance to play. They’re no strangers to the festival scene either, having played at last years Hardwick Festival on the main stage as winners of a battle of the bands competition.
But only time will tell, and I’m sure we’ll be getting plenty more announcements and information soon, and as residents of Sunderland, we’ll have first access to tickets, as the host city gives priority to those from the area the festival is being held.
Keep an eye out for updates, and let us know, will you be getting tickets?
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