BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024: Location, dates, stages, getting there from Scotland and what we know so far

Over 100,000 music fans are expected to attend the live music spectacular.

Matt Bellamy of Muse perfoming on the main stage at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Dundee in 2006.

Originally simply called One Big Weekend, the first BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend was held in Manchester in 2003 and was headlined by The White Stripes and Judge Jules.

Since then the pop music jamboree has crisscrossed the country, bringing some of the biggest names in music to some unlikely parts of Britain - Taylor Swift won't be playing Norwich again.

Last year it rolled into Dundee's Camperdown Country Park after being delayed by the pandemic and featured performances from the likes of The 1975, The Jonas Brothers, Lewis Capaldi and Wet Leg.

It was the fourth time the festival had travelled north of the border, following Dundee (again) in 2006, Glasgow in 2014 and Perth in 2018.

Here's what we know about this year's festival.

Where will BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2024 be held?

This year's event will be held in Stockwood Park, in Luton.

When is BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2024

The festival will take place over three consecutive days, from Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26.

How do I get there from Scotland?

While Luton is around 350 miles away from Edinburgh, it's actually surprisingly easy for Scots who live in the Central Belt to get there.

There are numerous cheap flights every day from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London Luton Airport which is just half an hour away by bus from Stockwood Park. Get the right fights and you could even just pop down for the day.

What stages will there be?

For the first time ever there will be four stages running across the full three days (rather than just the Saturday and Sunday).

The Radio 1 Main Stage, Radio 1’s Future Sounds Stage, Radio 1 Dance Stage and BBC Introducing Stage will showcase around 100 acts, from the biggest stars in the world to new and emerging artists.

When will tickets be available and how much will they cost?

Ticketing details have not yet been announce but will be announced on Radio 1 in the coming months. Last year day tickets cost £29 plus a £4.50 booking fee, so expect a similar price this year.

What's the lineup?

The lineup will be announced in the coming months - watch this space!

What if I can't go?

Even if you can't get to Luton you can check out all the action broadcast live from the festival site across the weekend, with performances and tracks available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and BBC Sounds.

What's been said about this year's BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend?

Radio 1 DJ Greg James said: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend is our favourite time of the year and we love taking it somewhere new every year. This year is the turn of Luton to experience the full Radio 1 treatment. It’s a simple mission really: we just want everyone who comes along to have the best time.”

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, said: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend always kicks off the UK festival season in style and I’m so excited that this year, it will be a three-day, four-stage, live music spectacular for our listeners to enjoy. We have some incredibly exciting ideas in the pipeline as well as some of the biggest artists to announce in the coming months, I can’t wait to celebrate in Luton.”

Cllr Hazel Simmons MBE, Leader of Luton Council, said: “The fact that BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, one of the UK’s largest and most popular music festivals, has chosen Luton is fantastic news for our town, especially our young people, and will showcase all the wonderful things about Luton.

“Not only will this event give a multi-million pound boost to Luton’s economy and provide a number of opportunities for local young people and businesses, with tens of thousands in attendance and millions tuning in across the BBC, it gives us an opportunity to step forward and showcase the very best of our ambitious, brilliantly vibrant, wonderfully diverse and transforming town.”