DJ Judge Jules was due to headline the dance event

Heavy rain has forced the cancellation of the first day of BBC Radio 1's One Big Weekend music event in Manchester.

Organisers made the decision after the Heaton Park venue became waterlogged after days of heavy rain.

The two-day event was due to start on Saturday at 1500 BST with dance acts, headlined by Radio 1's Judge Jules.

Others performers included Fergie, Eddie Halliwell and Good Greef DJs Rob Tissera, Shan, Alex Kidd and Adam Sheridan.

Radio 1 has said that Sunday's bands event - featuring The White Stripes, The Stereophonics , Manchester's Badly Drawn Boy and Feeder - is still to go ahead.

Free tickets were allocated for the separate days, but those holding tickets for Saturday will not be allowed in on Sunday.

'Massive disappointment'

Radio 1 bosses said that the cancellation decision was taken on health and safety grounds.

Jason Carter, executive producer of live events, said: "We have had to cancel the first day of our One Big Weekend event as the site is just too waterlogged.

"This is a massive disappointment for us and we would like to apologise to our listeners and to all those people who were due to come to Heaton Park on Saturday. "

A total of 20,000 tickets have been handed out for the two-day event, with fans queuing for hours in the city's Albert Square to collect them.