By Kaya Mcneil-Simms

Date: May 1, 2025

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend 2025 is best known for showcasing a unique and diverse lineup of music artists across different styles and genres, making it the perfect festival for discovering your new favourite artist. This year, it’s arriving to Liverpool, a city known for birthing many iconic musicians and bands. Over the weekend of 23rd May-25th May, around 100 acts will perform across 4 different stages across Sefton Park: Radio 1 Main Stage; Radio 1 New Music Stage; Radio 1 Dance and BBC Introducing. With a whopping 100,000 music lovers anticipated to attended, the festival promises to be unforgettable. To make it even sweeter, tickets are only £37.50 per day!

The true beauty of this non-camping festival is that there truly is something for every music lover. Friday will serve as an incredible introduction on what’s to come during the weekend, with iconic “Unwritten” crooner Natasha Bedingfield taking the main stage. Joining her will be Tom Grennan, set to perform his biggest hits including “Remind Me” “Don’t Break the Heart”, “All These Nights” and “Found What I’ve Been Looking For” and one of Liverpool’s finest, The Wombats, best known for their iconic hits “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”, “Kill the Director” and “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)”

If that wasn’t enough, our favourite Geordie lad Sam Fender is landing back in Liverpool after 3 years as part of his critically acclaimed “People Watching Tour”. General admission tickets for Saturday 23rd are now completely ‘sold oot’ and the only way to catch him perform an unreal set including the hits “People Watching”, “Spit of You”, Seventeen Going Under”, “The Kitchen” and “Hypersonic Missiles” is to shell out a little extra on VIP tickets (more on that later on…). Joining him are 00s icons the Sugababes, “Another Love” crooner Tom Odell, the charismatic and humble ‘stargazer’ Myles Smith and alternative Londoners Wolf Alice as part of their highly anticipated comeback. For lovers of pop and indie, Sunday is the day for you, with the incredible Tate McRae, Lola Young, HAIM, Wet Leg, Mumford and Sons, Jade and FLO set to perform across the stages. Plus, for the first time in the festival’s history, fans will be treated to a performance from Radio 1 Anthems acts across the weekend that will celebrate iconic tracks and truly unforgettable moments from the past 20 years of music. You don’t want to miss this one…

Aside from the headliners, fans of every music genre will have something to look forward to this year. Indie fans have the likes of Esme Emerson, LUVCAT and Pixey to enjoy across the stages. For rock and alternative lovers, Fatdog, Inhaler and Liverpool’s very own Crawlers will also take to the stages. Also be prepared to catch Confidence Man, Good Neighbours and Self Esteem during the weekend.

Getting there

Worried about how to get there? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! Public transport will. Be your best friend for Big Weekend, as it’s a no camping zone. However, the events will end no later than 10pm each evening so that’ll leave plenty of time to catch the last train or bus. To make life easier for all, here is a list of the different buses and trains to get to and from Sefton Park to save in your notes!

Trains

The Merseyrail is the best way to travel via train for Big Weekend.

· Board the Merseyrail Northern Line from Lime Street Station to Hunts Cross and get off at St Michael’s station. The park is a 15-minute walk from there

· Or travel on the City Line from Lime Street to Manchester, Warrington or Birmingham and get off at Mossley Hill Station. The park is again a 15-minute walk.

· For those travelling from the Wirral Line, connect at Liverpool Central

Buses

· Liverpool ONE bus station to Speke and reverse (82, 82a)

· Liverpool ONE to Halewood (75, 80, 80a)

· Liverpool ONE to John Lennon Airport and reverse (86a)

· Queen Square to Ullet Road (76)

· Bootle Bus Station to Aigburth Vale (68, 68a, 68b, 68e)

Shuttle Buses

There will be a shuttle bus that will run every 30 minutes from Charlotte Street/Eliot Street to Croxteth Drive in the city centre to get you to and from Big Weekend using fully electric double-deckers for a more sustainable journey. The times are as follows:

· Friday: 12pm-5pm | Return from event finish-11pm

· Saturday and Sunday: 9am-1pm | Return from event finish- 11pm

If you already have your tickets or have yet to purchase them, you may want to consider the VIP option. The VIP area boasts additional luxuries to indulge in to make your Big Weekend experience even better, including access to a bar to where drinks can be purchased, a DJ, gourmet food and upgraded bathroom facilities. Please note you must be 18+ to purchase these particular tickets or else entry to the VIP area will be denied. More info, including ticket info, accessibility info and FAQs is available on the official BBC webpage.

THE SONGBIRD HQ