Stars to flock to Dundee for BBC’S annual festival
Harry Styles, Biffy Clyro and Calvin Harris will take the stage when Radio 1 brings its annual music festival back to Dundee this year.
AJ Tracey, Camila Cabello and Dua Lipa will also perform at the city’s Camperdown Park when the channel’s Big Weekend event returns to the city for a second time in May.
More than 70,000 fans are expected to descend on the city for the three-day festival, which tours the UK to locations which do not normally boast large-scale events.
Dundee’s bid to secure the festival, which is normally sold out well in advance, is expected to be worth several million pounds to its economy.
Pink,sugababes,thestreets, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini and Muse all appeared in Dundee when the event was previously staged in the park in 2006.
Styles performed with One Direction at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Glasgow in 2014, when the event was headlined by Paolo Nutini, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Calvin Harris.
Styles said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be back at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, it’s the start of the summer and the crowds in Scotland are always insane.”
Biffy Clyro singer Simon Neil said: “We’re delighted to be appearing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee. We’ve had a wonderful relationship with Radio 1 over the years and it is always a highlight to play at the festival. We can’t wait.”
Cuban-american pop star Cabello said: “Radio 1 has been a huge part of my journey over the last few years so I am beyond excited to be coming back to Big Weekend. It’s going to super fun to perform for you guys in Scotland.”
Full details of how to get tickets for the event, which will be staged from 22-24 May, will be revealed over the next few weeks.
Aled Haydn Jones, head of programmes for Radio 1, says: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend is absolutely the highlight of the year for us and we’re delighted to be heading to Dundee this year bringing some of the biggest artists on the planet with us.
“Whether you are joining us at the event itself or making the most of the action across radio, TV, iplayer, BBC Sounds and social media, it’s sure to be another unmissable start to the festival season.”
Radio 1’s Big Weekend will be the biggest event to be held in the city since the opening of the new V&A museum on its waterfront in September 2018.
A free festival headlined by Primal Scream and Lewis Capaldi was held to herald the museum’s opening at the new Slessor Park, which was been created under a £1 billion revamp of the waterfront.
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: “This is an incredible opportunity for Dundee and we are looking forward to hosting such an exciting event at Camperdown Park.
“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.”