10 reasons to get excited for BBC Music's Biggest Weekend

It’s here! Back in 2017, plans were laid for BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend, and now we can reveal the big details: who’s playing, where it’s happening, when it’s happening, and what makes it the biggest weekend ever. Without further ado, this is why you should get really excited for what’s coming up…

It’s called BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend for a reason, and four is the magic number. Four days of unmissable live music will soundtrack four cities across the UK over the late May bank holiday weekend (25th-28th), with an incredible array of massive artists getting involved all celebrating the incredible breadth and diversity of live music on the BBC. Those four cities are: Perth, Scotland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Swansea, Wales and Coventry, England.

Fancy watching Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds play in the grounds of a historic Gothic palace dating back to the 17th Century? Prefer to soak up the sun in Coventry’s War Memorial Park to the sound of Snow Patrol? BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend is taking place in some stunning, picture perfect locations, from the majestic grounds of Singleton Park to the historic Titanic Slipways.

In what promises to be 2018’s most massive festival, over 175,000 tickets are going on sale to the public, with the lion's share of the tickets being made available to local residents, and the rest going on sale to the general public. Bob Shennan, Director of BBC Radio and Music, calls it “the biggest single music event ever attempted by the BBC.”

Find out everything you need to know about getting tickets to The Biggest Weekend

It’s been a while since Swiftyconquered the UK, and she’s only played one show on these shores since releasing sixth album Reputation in 2017. She’s coming back for a gigantic show in Swansea (Sunday 27th May) as part of BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend. Are you ready for it?

Most artists playing BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend are sticking to one location, but legendary violinist Nigel Kennedy doesn’t do things by halves. He teams up with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on Friday 25th May with an opening night performance in Perth. Then on Monday 28th May for his second show in Coventry he performs alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. What a champ.

Giving us an insight into what will be 2 incredible performances Nigel said: “I’m inspired by all kinds of music from across the world. I’m also inspired by people and by passion. Music should not be pigeon-holed and I have always believed that. So it’s great to be involved in an event which celebrates diversity across live musical genres with artists new and old. In Perth, I’ll be performing Bach and Gershwin with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and in Coventry, Highlights of the New Four Seasons and Hendrix with the BBC Concert Orchestra.”

No massive festival comes complete without Ed Sheeran - 2017’s biggest selling artist. His third album ÷ remains glued to the UK charts, and he even earned his first Christmas No. 1 with Perfect back in December. There’s no stopping Ed, and he’ll be playing one of the must-see Biggest Weekend sets on Saturday 26th May in Swansea. Ed himself said of this amazing moment, “So excited to be part of The Biggest Weekend this summer! I’ve always loved performing at Big Weekend with Radio 1 and this year it’s going to be even bigger. Bring it on Swansea!”

BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend boasts some of the world’s biggest acts, and plenty of all-time greats are getting involved. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will be performing in Perth, Scotland for BBC Radio 2. Over in Belfast, Northern Ireland, BBC 6 Music is putting on an incredible show, featuring Welsh heroes Manic Street Preachers and hit machine Beck. That’s not all – the one and only Billy Ocean will be appearing in Coventry for BBC Radio 2.

Are you a fan of pulsating rhythms, floor-shaking bass and space-age electronics? You’re in luck, because Public Service Broadcasting are on the bill for BBC 6 Music in Belfast. Joining them will be witty, one-of-a-kind Australian songwriter Courtney Barnett. Over in Coventry, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band bring their dynamic and celebratory folk to BBC Radio 3’s bill. And obviously, plenty more names are still to come, which brings us on to our next point...

When we say ‘loads’, we mean a ridiculous amount of amazing acts will be getting in on the action. With four of the BBC’s biggest radio networks on curation duty, you can expect one of the festival season’s most jam-packed and diverse bills. Watch this space.

Tickets go on sale Monday 12th February, and they’re set to be in huge demand. If you miss out, fear not: you’ll be able to follow BBC Music’s The Biggest Weekend pretty much everywhere. BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3 and 6 Music will all bring extensive coverage, with 1Xtra and Asian Network also hosting performances and broadcasts. There will be extensive TV coverage on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four. And if you happen to be away over the bank holiday weekend, sets will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, mobile and online.