Last weekend saw the kick off of British festival season with the commencement of the iconic BBC Big Weekend in Sunderland's Herrington Country Park. Starting in 2003, the festival has always sought to bring music fans closer to the most concurrent artists at a remarkably affordable price , compared to that of modern concerts, with last weekend's pricing ranging from just £34.50 to £44.50 a ticket. The festival garnered the attention of over 100,000 fans across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, generating a whopping £3.5 million boost to Sunderland's economy, whilst providing fans access to headliners whose concert tickets have been notoriously difficult to purchase.
Image courtesy of @bbcradio1 on Instagram
Friday was dedicated to the disco-goers and rave-lovers, throwing it back to the 90s with headliner Fatboy Slim delivering Big Weekend's 'Dance Party'. Whereas Saturday was dominated by viral star Zara Larsson, accompanied by returning sensation Lola Young debuting her latest single From Down Here, kicking off a new era and delivering a pop-packed day to Saturday's audience. Sunday saw multi-BRIT award winning powerhouse Olivia Dean take the stage to close out the Big Weekend, cementing once again her pertinence in the music scene, and the reason for her continued success in recent years.
Video courtesy of BBC Radio 1 on Youtube
Although, I must say, the line up for this year certainly had its impressive acts, but Big Weekend has gradually waned in its appeal over the past couple years. Compared to that of 2024, which I was lucky enough to attend in Luton, headliners included Charli XCX on her breakthrough with the 'Brat' era, as well as Beabadoobee, Coldplay, Raye, and Sabrina Carpenter, just following the release of her hit Espresso. Hence, when the lineup for this year was revealed, it was somewhat an indicator of the decline of the festival's status.
Albeit, Big Weekend is still a go-to for fans seeking a cheap and cheerful weekend of guaranteed great music, where this year certainly had a few great acts for everyone to enjoy, and nobody can complain about its affordability.
Image courtesy of Me (Big Weekend 2024)
In other live music news, this past week also saw the start of multiple tours in the UK, as well as some exciting new tour announcements.
Doja Cat began the UK run of her Tour Ma Vie World Tour in Glasgow last Thursday, and An Evening with Pinkpantheress continued from its initial start in September 2025 last Saturday, also in Glasgow. Both of these tours I was fortunate enough to attend, and both delivered an unforgettable night which reminded me of the upcoming joys of live music soon to come this summer.
Image courtesy of Me (Doja Cat - Tour Ma Vie 2026)
Additionally, there have been a range of recently announced upcoming live music events.
Nothing but Thieves announced their awaited return to music with a tour to accompany their new album 'Stray Dogs', set to release on September 25th. The tour will commence in the UK next February, with presale beginning on Tuesday, 2nd June, and general onsale Friday, 5th June, for interested fans.
Furthermore, Gracie Abrams has announced her The Look at My Life Tour in support of her new album 'Daughter From Hell', set to release on July 17th. Although I'm not personally a fan of her music, Abrams has selected a cohort of openers which fans should be looking forward to seeing live, including Holly Humberstone, The Japanese House, Del Water Gap, and Rachel Chinouriri. Presale begins next Tuesday, 2nd June, and general onsale Friday, 5th June, with the tour kicking off next April.
Image courtesy of @gracieabrams on Instagram
So, not only were we lucky with this week's lovely weather, but we have also been treated with the abundance of live music performances, with loads more to come this summer; who are you most eagerly anticipating to see?
BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend image courtesy of BBC and Jscarr8 on Wikipedia under Creative Commons license
Comments
Add a comment