RAJAR Q2 2026

[onlyME]

Looks like they are recruiting for people to work it. 

https://app.locationlive.co.uk/location/radio-1-big-weekend-festival

[abertom]

Bradford, Blackpool or Liverpool?

[Dan18F1]

I’d guess Liverpool to tie into Eurovision? It’s a shame it’s up there again though - thought it would go to Scotland again really.

[Jono]

Would be very close to Eurovision, so could tie in? 

Ooh posted same time as Dan! 

[BBCAaron]

I hinted before they may go for one of the new jubilee cities. Think they going for a a new city will go for the BBC’s move to do stuff in areas outside the major towns and cities for events

[1_tw]

1 hour ago, BBCAaron said:

I hinted before they may go for one of the new jubilee cities. Think they going for a a new city will go for the BBC’s move to do stuff in areas outside the major towns and cities for events

None of which are in North West England, sadly. 

Surprised they aren’t returning to Dundee as they were due to host in 2020. Council / local funding must be the issue for them.

[BBCAaron]

20 hours ago, 1_tw said:

None of which are in North West England, sadly. 

Surprised they aren’t returning to Dundee as they were due to host in 2020. Council / local funding must be the issue for them.

Think unless there would be issues reapplying for a major event with council permission. Is it 100% in the north west of England? 

[1_tw]

5 hours ago, BBCAaron said:

Think unless there would be issues reapplying for a major event with council permission. Is it 100% in the north west of England? 

As location live, who appear to sell trade space to brands at various locations & events.

Most councils jump at the chance of staging the big weekend & as there’d been so much work by the BBC and Festival Republic to get Dundee booked & announced a large amount would already be done. So it’s either Dundee don’t have the funding required or like it’s said above Liverpool have it to tie in with Eurovision.

[BBCAaron]

11 minutes ago, 1_tw said:

As location live, who appear to sell trade space to brands at various locations & events.

Most councils jump at the chance of staging the big weekend & as there’d been so much work by the BBC and Festival Republic to get Dundee booked & announced a large amount would already be done. So it’s either Dundee don’t have the funding required or like it’s said above Liverpool have it to tie in with Eurovision.

I would think that it would be wild gambit just to assume because Liverpool have the Eurovision weeks before that would occur in Liverpool. That said wouldn’t cling on to this idea of the north west of england when it hasn’t been explicitly confirmed and haven’t been able to confidently state that for certain. Radio 1 on the covid lockdown cancellations being the sole factor on the delay of Dundee and the only conditional reason why. They would have had it last year in Dundee but went to Coventry. We don’t know how in advance talks start and these things you say that work would already been done but it depends on certain cities council and planning regulations and rules of whether that they would have to re-apply for the event and get new set of planning and that the council would have to decide on it themselves. As such things like this would need to have certain security risks and even a year delayed with plans they may need to see if anything’ needs to revise. In short there maybe more behind the scenes beurocracy involved.

But with funding and the cost of living and public services for local government working to hold major events becomes a lot difficult 

[lochnessa]

Kind of interesting that they list the average listener age when it skews a little older than the target audience.  Makes sense though in terms of recruiting vendors, etc. as actual attendees are probably more towards the middle to top of the range.

[1_tw]

22 hours ago, BBCAaron said:

I would think that it would be wild gambit just to assume because Liverpool have the Eurovision weeks before that would occur in Liverpool. That said wouldn’t cling on to this idea of the north west of england when it hasn’t been explicitly confirmed and haven’t been able to confidently state that for certain. Radio 1 on the covid lockdown cancellations being the sole factor on the delay of Dundee and the only conditional reason why. They would have had it last year in Dundee but went to Coventry. We don’t know how in advance talks start and these things you say that work would already been done but it depends on certain cities council and planning regulations and rules of whether that they would have to re-apply for the event and get new set of planning and that the council would have to decide on it themselves. As such things like this would need to have certain security risks and even a year delayed with plans they may need to see if anything’ needs to revise. In short there maybe more behind the scenes beurocracy involved.

But with funding and the cost of living and public services for local government working to hold major events becomes a lot difficult 

It wouldn’t be the first, second or third time that the BBC have staged the big weekend to coincide with another event, London 2012 & cities of culture Derry Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017 & Coventry 2022 to name just a few.

One of the festivals partners, which looks to be legit is advertising & selling trade space for the festival noting North West, they aren’t going to publicly announce the exact location before the BBC.

We’re talking experienced festival planners on the behalf of the BBC, where things are planned in advance & often in locations where events are already & have previously been held. Councils usually clamour to get the event in their town or city & has previously been reported the biggest stumbling block is funding the councils contribution to the festival. 

Hopefully only another few weeks and it will be announced with a Jan Slam ticket giveaway.

[BBCAaron]

11 minutes ago, 1_tw said:

It wouldn’t be the first, second or third time that the BBC have staged the big weekend to coincide with another event, London 2012 & cities of culture Derry Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017 & Coventry 2022 to name just a few.

One of the festivals partners, which looks to be legit is advertising & selling trade space for the festival noting North West, they aren’t going to publicly announce the exact location before the BBC.

We’re talking experienced festival planners on the behalf of the BBC, where things are planned in advance & often in locations where events are already & have previously been held. Councils usually clamour to get the event in their town or city & has previously been reported the biggest stumbling block is funding the councils contribution to the festival. 

Hopefully only another few weeks and it will be announced with a Jan Slam ticket giveaway.

Ah if they festival planners wouldn’t assume that would 100% be in the north west but can understand the hunch and it could be likely a right hunch. I’m never one for heavy speculation. I mean it always depends on the calendar for local regions and councils. I suppose it all down to local planning regulation and the support within the council and locals. I mean it depends on how and when the process of selection and confirming a town or city for Big Weekend. It’s to wonder whether it would as an annual event that gets recommissioned every year without circumstances as that of a pandemic. All depends of when it is. As think Liverpool for Eurovision was only confirmed last autumn and there was much speculation even that could go to Glasgow.

Think with Hackney that was a supersized Big Weekend with many a-list acts like Glastonbury would be all booked well in advanced and could time it right as the Olympic been on the calendar for several years and cities of culture tends to be decided a while in advance and the whole city of culture is confirmation that they are targeting that city to champion and be home of key cultural events where it gels quite well.

You could be right but its to say what is the planning process that the BBC and its contracted events planning teams use

[BBCAaron]

5 hours ago, lochnessa said:

Kind of interesting that they list the average listener age when it skews a little older than the target audience.  Makes sense though in terms of recruiting vendors, etc. as actual attendees are probably more towards the middle to top of the range.

I mean there will always be vendors at a festivals regardless what demographics got to have some one who can offer retail mobile catering to be able to provide and sell food and drink for guests and usually events tends to be third party vendors. 

[TMD_24]

I find it funny that we still haven't found out the location of Radio 1's Big Weekend yet with no announcement pending, yet they are playing promos for Radio 1 in Ibiza frequently!