More names have been added to the line-up for 2026’s Radio One’s Big Weekend, with Lola Young, Louis Tomlinson, Zara Larsson and more joining the bill.
This year’s festival will be held in Sunderland for the first time, and taking place at the Herrington Country Park between Friday May 22 and Sunday May 24.
The first wave of names joining the bill was shared recently, with Fatboy Slim and Sonny Fodera set to headline the Friday line-up, alongside NME 100 star Clementine Douglas, German DJ and singer horsegiirL, Australian music producer FISHER, DJ Arielle Free, and more.
Now, the line-up for Saturday May 23 has been shared, with Zara Larsson, Louis Tomlinson, Lola Young, Nothing But Thieves, Ellie Goulding and more set to perform on the main stage. For Young, the slot comes following her recently playing her first headline show in 2026, having taken a break for mental health in 2025 and returning to the stage at the Grammys earlier this year.
For Tomlinson, it comes on the heels of him sharing his latest solo album, ‘How Did I Get Here?’ and telling NME about a newfound sense of confidence he has when hitting the live stage.
Also on the bill is BBC Sound of 2026 winner Skye Newman, while artists lined up for the Radio 1 New Music Stage include Florence Road, James Blake, MUNA, Mitski, Rachel Chinouriri, Eric LeCount and more.
Tickets are on sale now – get yours here.
As with previous Big Weekends, tickets will be geographically structured to give a preference to local residents. Of all the tickets, 30 per cent will be reserved for those living in Sunderland, 60 per cent will be reserved for those living in the surrounding NECA region, and the remaining 10 per cent of tickets will be available for the rest of the UK.
With it being set in Sunderland this year, the festival is continuing its tradition of helping to bring some of the biggest names in music to parts of the country that may not otherwise host such large-scale shows. In the past it has seen Lana Del Rey head to Hull, Taylor Swift perform in Norwich, Ed Sheeran take the stage in Coventry and more.
The 2026 edition will also see the BBC working closely with Sunderland City Council to ensure that the Big Weekend is a safe and secure environment for all attending. More names for the line-up will be shared on Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James from 7.30am tomorrow (Tuesday March 10).
2025’s festival was held at Liverpool’s Sefton Park saw performances from Sam Fender, Blossoms, Lola Young, Wet Leg, BRITs Rising Star 2025 winner Myles Smith, Tom Grennan, Biffy Clyro, Confidence Man, Barry Can’t Swim, Nia Archives, Katy B, The Wombats and more.
