Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Tickets go on sale
Music fans expected to snap up Biggest Weekend briefs
Music fans from the local area have been offered first refusal on tickets for the huge BBC festival coming to Tayside.
The events take place this May and Perth is one of four sites across the country, alongside Swansea, Belfast and Coventry.
Perth’s events, at Scone Palace on May 25 and May 26, will host top handpicked musical talent representing the best of BBC Radio 2 and Radio 3.
The Radio 2 day, on Saturday 26 May, is headlined by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Simple Minds. Other highlights of the Saturday include Amy McDonald, Julie Fowlis and The Shires.
Meanwhile, Friday’s Radio 3 day features violinist Nigel Kennedy and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Other highlights of the first day include jazz-pop singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum and soprano opera singer Danielle de Niese.
Jamie Cullum said: “It’s going to be an amazing weekend of music and to have the opportunity to collaborate across various genres is truly special.”
Tickets for both days, at £18 each, went on sale at 8.30am through online ticketing service Ticketmaster.
For an additional £60, festival goers could also buy picnic hampers with local produce and drinks.
Residents living in Dundee postcodes were entitled to make a claim on tickets allocated to a special “pot” for local residents.
The majority of tickets – 60% – were reserved for those living in the Perth and Kinross council area.
Another 25% were reserved for local residents outside of the Perth and Kinross council area but living in DD, FK and KY postcodes – and the last 15% were open to anyone.
At the time of going to press today, tickets were still freely available for both days.
In all, 175,000 tickets are being released for the four Biggest Weekend shows.
However, for those who miss out on buying tickets, the broadcaster will be sharing the events online, on TV and on radio.
Rhys Hughes, of the BBC, said: “The Biggest Weekend is going to be the music highlight on the BBC this year and we will be providing audiences with a fantastic weekend of coverage, whether you are at one of the festivals, watching from home or on the move.”
TICKETS for the BBC Biggest Weekend music festival went on sale today — with some briefs still available as the Tele went to press.