Photo Credit: BBC / James Watkins
Words: Sophie Thompson
Catch all the action from Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland across BBC TV, radio and online.
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend returned to the North East for the first time since 2019, transforming Sunderland’s Herrington Park into the centre of music for one unforgettable bank holiday weekend. Known for bringing global stars to areas around the country which they don’t often perform at. The festival welcomed over 100 artists and more than 100,000 music lovers across three days.
With glorious weather from start to finish and one of the strongest lineups in recent years, the atmosphere throughout the weekend was electric. In previous years the Big Weekend line ups had been heavily male dominated making it especially refreshing to see both the Saturday and Sunday be headlined by female artists.
Saturday
Erin LeCount opened the New Music stage with her self produced alternative pop sound, immediately captivating the crowd. Joking on stage that she ‘thought there would be three of you’ in reference to 2025 when she played the Introducing Stage to a much smaller crowd as Ed Sheeran played a surprise set at the same time as her. Playing a mix of fan favourites and unreleased material, LeCount is a clear future star.
Ellie Goulding opened the main stage in style for her first festival appearance in years. Delivering a set packed with nostalgia and a glimpse of the future as she performed an unreleased song ‘Black Prada Dress’. She effortlessly commanded the stage as if she had never been away.
Returning one year after performing on the BBC Introducing Stage Skye Newman carried herself with the confidence of an artist far beyond her years. Her performance featured tracks like ‘Family Matters’, the upcoming single ‘Man of the House’ and the debut of new song ‘Kiss it Bitch’. Having already toured with Lewis Capaldi last year and is preparing to head out on tour in Australia with Harry Styles at the end of this year, there is no doubt that she is quickly becoming one of the most exciting emerging names of 2026.
Louis Tomlinson had fans waiting at the front all day for him. Fresh from a huge UK and Europe arena, the former One Direction star opened with Lemonade before treating fans to an acoustic rendition of ‘Night Changes’ winning over even those unfamiliar with his solo material. His confidence radiated off him and the crowd responded with unwavering energy as the confetti rained down for his final track ‘Palaces’.
Over on the New Music stage Rachel Chinouriri brought an infectious sense of joy with indie pop favourites ‘The Hills’ and ‘All I Ever Asked’. As she played her final song ‘Never Need Me’, the emotion of being back on stage visibly overwhelmed her as she thanked the crowd for their continued support. It was a genuinely moving moment from one of the UK’s most deserving artists.
Nothing But Thieves provided the only rock moment of the weekend and immediately won over the crowd with the explosive opening song ‘Amsterdam’. Their effortless live energy was prominent during ‘Welcome to the DCC’ and ‘Impossible’ delivering one of the most energetic and lively sets of the weekend.
Lola Young delivered an exciting set, returning to live music after cancelling tour dates due to exhaustion following an on-stage collapse last year. Young looked and sounded better than ever before on the stage with ethereal vocals and lyrics which resonated, she connected with the Sunderland crowd leaving a lasting impression. The Grammy hit winning ‘Messy’ sent the crowd into a frenzy while the debut of her James Blake collaboration ‘From Down Here’ showcased an interesting new direction for the pop star.
Closing the new music stage for Saturday was James Blake with a mesmerising performance which had forced the crowd to stop in their tracks. Marking his first ever Big Weekend appearance and it certainly won’t be his last. Bringing Lola Young back out or a duet for ‘Make Something Up’ they created one of the most memorable moments of the weekend.
Swedish pop megastar Zara Larsson is no stranger to the Big Weekend stage making her fourth appearance at the festival. Following a huge 2026 driven by viral dances and high profile collaborations, Larsson proved why she remains one of pop’s most captivating live performers delivering hit after hit, the Sunderland crowd did not stop dancing. During ‘Lush Life’ she invited a fan up on stage to perform her viral Lush Life dance alongside her.
As ‘Midnight Sun’ soundtracked the. Beautiful summer evening, it felt as if summer itself had officially started in Sunderland. Closing her set was ‘Symphony’ the Clean Bandit 2017 collaboration which had a viral resurgence online just last year. Larsson delivered the perfect Saturday headline set through tight choreography, infectious energy and effortless charisma.
Sunday
Niall Horan kicked off Sunday’s Main Stage lineup marking his first full length performance in 2 years. He was the second former One Direction member to grace the Big Weekend stage. Horan effortlessly balanced old favourites and new material from his upcoming album ‘Dinner Party’, out on June 5th. Opening his set with ‘Heartbreak Weather’ the title track for his 2020 sophomore album before launching into ‘Nice to Meet Ya’, he had the crowd singing every word back to him from the very start. During ‘Heaven’, Horan ventured down to the barricade shaking hands and greeting the fans at the very front row. With the live debut of ‘Dinner Party’ and ‘Little More Time’ as well as the unreleased ‘Tastes So Good’ each which received an enormous reaction from the crowd. Closing with his first breakthrough solo hit ‘Slow Hands’ he repeatedly thanked the fans for their support in a genuine heartfelt moment.
Myles Smith soon followed, bringing the festival energy to Sunderland. The BRIT rising star winner performed his biggest hits including ‘Stargazing’ and ‘Gold’ before welcoming Niall Horan back to the stage for a surprise duet of ‘Drive Safe’.
Dermot Kennedy delivered one of the weekend’s most emotional sets, showcasing his raw storytelling ability which made him one of Ireland’s greatest artists. Opening with ‘Honest’ from his latest album ‘The Weight of the Woods’ Kennedy still made sure that his biggest hits remained on the setlist with ‘Power Over Me’ and “Better Days’ leaving a lasting connection on the audience.
Holly Humberstone took over the New Music stage oozing with confidence off the back of her latest album ‘Cruel World’, opening her 45-minute set with ‘To Love Somebody’ gliding through the rapid rhythm with ease. Her newest material is arguably her strongest yet.
Just days after the release of her latest album ‘Florescence’ Maisie Peters brought charisma and certainty to the New Music stage. Although most of her set consisted of new songs from her latest album, tracks like ‘There It Goes’ and ‘Lost the Breakup’ prompted huge singalongs from the crowd as well as a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Silver Sprigs’ went down a treat. Ending on ‘My Regards’ which saw a line dance featuring Radio 1 presenters Maia Beth and Jess Iszatt which perfectly captured the joy of the weekend.
CMAT proved why she is one of the most unique performers in modern pop. Opening with ‘Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’ she balanced humour, chaos and emotional honesty every moment felt unpredictable and entertaining. ‘When a Good Man Cries’ stood out as a highlight while ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’ got honest as she opened up about the negative comments she faced about her body when she last performed at BBC Big Weekend. During the closing track ‘Stay for Something’ the entire crowd screamed back “JUST CAN’T DO IT” at the top of their lungs as CMAT walked across the barricade marking one of the weekends most joyful moments.
Then came the moment the entire weekend had been building up to Olivia Dean, one of the biggest names of 2026. From playing the introducing stage in Dundee 2023 to headlining the entire festival, her headline slot marks a huge full circle moment. Opening with ‘Nice to Each Other’, Dean radiated warmth and energy throughout the entire performance with the crowd chanting ‘I don’t want a boyfriend’ back to her in unison.
Reflecting on the huge success of her sophomore album ‘The Art of Loving’ Dean told the audience ‘This album has completely changed my life’. Following a breakthrough few years which saw her biggest moment come from her duet with Sam Fender which still remains at number 1 in the charts, there was a level of hopefulness of her bringing out Fender for the infamous collab, but it wasn’t to be in Sunderland. She was every bit the headline star as confetti and fireworks erupted bringing a close to one of the best performances of the evening as well as an incredible weekend of live music.
Catch all the action from Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland across BBC TV, radio and online.
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