Lewis Capaldi, The 1975, Anne-Marie and Niall Horan to perform at BBC Radio 1 music festival in Dundee

Lewis Capaldi is to headline a three-day open-air music festival in Dundee after Radio 1 bosses revealed plans to stage their Big Weekend in the city three years after it was scuppered by the Covid pandemic.

The 1975, Raye, Niall Horan, Anne-Marie and Arlo Park will also be performing at Camperdown Park in an event expected to attract more than 80,000 fans over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.

The Big Weekend was set to take place in Dundee in 2020, but was unable to go ahead due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The BBC is working closely with Dundee City Council on plans for this year’s event.

John Alexander, Dundee City Council leader, said: “This is an incredible opportunity for Dundee and we are looking forward to hosting such an exciting event at Camperdown Park after the disappointment of 2020’s cancellation.

Lewis Capaldi will headline at the Dundee festival. Picture: PA

“Radio 1’s Big Weekend will showcase Dundee not only to the tens of thousands of people who attend, but also the millions who will watch and listen through the BBC. We expect a huge economic boost for the area as the event has been worth millions of pounds to previous host locations.”

The concert will kick off the UK’s festival season by bringing some of the biggest UK and international artists to cities that may not otherwise host such a large-scale event, shining a light on the local area and providing a major boost to the local economy.

The event often sells out in minutes every year with a huge demand for tickets.

The 1975 have said they are “looking forward” to being in Dundee for their first outdoor concert of the year, with Horan also saying he cannot wait to “see you all there” at the festival.

Capaldi added: “I’m very excited to be playing in Dundee for Big Weekend, I never managed to get tickets last time so I’m very excited to be able to come along and enjoy it as well as playing.”