BBC’s annual Big Weekend was one of the first events to be postponed or even cancelled due to coronavirus. After an announcement in March said that the festival would not go ahead, organisers now seem to have changed their minds. The event will still take place on the weekend over the May Bank Holiday (22-24). There’s just one difference: For the first time, the festival will be held online, as a remote festival.
Usually the festival is happening on the grounds of Camperdown Park in Dundee, with 70.000 people attending. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, major events all across the UK had to cancel, just like Big Weekend. As Radio 1 published on their Instagram account, some of the artists that are going to perform in the online version include Sam Smith, Rita Ora, Biffy Clyro and Anne-Marie. More artists are about the be announced. Fans are wondering if most of the original line up is still going ahead as planned. The original line up included names such as Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and Camila Cabello.
Wait big weekend is still happening but online so does that mean we will get a harry performance??
— Emma (@fearlesslwtt) May 5, 2020
The event will have five virtual “stages” and will show performances from artists’ homes as well as archive sets from former editions of the festival. More than 100 artists are going to participate. Radio 1 host Greg James says he’s happy his “favourite event of the year” is still happening. “It’ll be a great opportunity to re-live some of our favourite performances from over the years”, he says, “although it’ll be a technical nightmare, having some new performances from artists’ houses will be great for everyone to have something fun to watch and listen to over the Bank Holiday Weekend.”
The situation is new for everyone, even the artists are curious about how performing from home is going to be. “I’m so excited that Radio 1’s Big Weekend is happening this year, even though it’ll be from my living room I still can’t wait”, Rita Ora says. And Biffy Clyro adds: “As much as we’d love to be performing live on stage, this will be a whole new experience for us and we cannot wait.”
Radio 1 is going to air the virtual festival across the weekend for fans to enjoy, with full sets available on BBC sounds. Profits from merchandise will be donated to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need. More details regarding the full line up and set times are about the be announced.
