Stirling chosen to host Radio 2 in the Park

BBC Radio 2 has named Stirling as this year's location for its flagship live music festival.

Radio 2 in the Park will take place at City Park between 7 and 9 August.

DJ Scott Mills made the announcement on his Radio 2 breakfast show describing it as "an absolute treat."

The full artist line-up and ticketing details will be announced at a later date.

Making the announcement, Mills said "a Scottish crowd is the best crowd."

He said: "What an absolute treat for Radio 2 in the Park to land in Scotland this summer.

"Every time I've DJ'd in Scotland I received the warmest welcome, so I truly cannot wait for what promises to be the most brilliant weekend in August. "

Radio 2 head Helen Thomas said the station's presenters were "hugely excited" to be coming to the city, while Stirling Council leader Susan McGill said the event would be a "huge boost" to the city and surrounding region.

The National Wallace Monument and the Tolbooth music venue in Stirling were illuminated in orange on Thursday night to mark the announcement.

Radio 2 in the Park is the station's annual flagship live music event, bringing some of the biggest UK and international artists to cities that may not otherwise host such a large-scale event.

The festival will be held across three stages, with tens of thousands of music fans expected to attend.

Last year's festival was held in Chelmsford, and the 2024 event was held in Preston.

The station said a Friday-night DJ party would launch the festival on 7 August.

The event marks the first major Radio 2 live music event in Scotland since BBC Music's Biggest Weekend in May 2018 at Scone Castle, Perth.

In 2023, Radio 1's Big Weekend took place in Camperdown Country Park in Dundee.

Thomas said: "Everyone in the Radio 2 presenter family is hugely excited to be heading to Stirling for our Radio 2 in the Park weekend.

"When they all found out together that we were going to Scotland, a cheer rang out across the room.

"We're now busy building a line-up of some of the world's most loved artists to perform live for tens of thousands of people in the park, as well as for millions of listeners and viewers at home or on the move."

Last year, Stirling Council announced a £750,000 investment in the park to make it "Scotland's leading sustainable outdoor events space."

Cllr Susan McGill said: "We can't wait to welcome fans and artists to our amazing city for an unforgettable celebration of world-class live music set to the stunning backdrop of Stirling Castle.

"While Stirling has a proud track record of successfully staging major music events, Radio 2 in the Park will be our biggest one yet."

The park previously hosted the 2024 Summer Sessions festival, which was headlined by Tom Jones, Busted and Shania Twain.