Every year, British station Radio 1 brings together some of the world’s biggest artists for a three-day music festival. It travels to different towns each year – the 2024 event will start at Stockwood Park in Luton.
If you can’t come in person, don’t worry. Radio 1’s Big Weekend is available on a range of media, and we’ve even found a way to listen to it from outside the UK. Continue reading to learn more.
When does Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 take place?
Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Luton will take place from Friday 24 May 2024 to Sunday 26 May 2024.
According to the Radio 1 website, the first track will begin on Friday at 4pm BST. The event will conclude at 10pm BST on Sunday, although coverage will be available on demand and some TV content will air later than the live schedule.
Who is performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024?
You can view the full Luton Big Weekend schedule here, but here are some of the highlights from the main stage:
Friday May 24
- Becky Hill – 4 p.m.
- Nathan Dawe – 5:30 p.m.
- Ella Henderson – 7:45 p.m.
- Rudimentary – 8:30 p.m.
- Prosecution and status – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday May 25
- Joel Corry – 1 p.m.
- Rag n Bone Man – 2:20 p.m.
- Jax Jones – 3:40 p.m.
- Aitch – 5:00 p.m.
- Claw – 6:30 p.m.
- Mabel – 7:30 p.m.
- Raye – 9 p.m.
Sunday May 26
- AJ Tracey – 1 p.m.
- London Grammar – 2:10 p.m.
- Declan McKenna – 3:30 p.m.
- Sabrina Carpenter – 4:40 p.m.
- Olly Alexandre – 6:05 p.m.
- Alyx Holcombe – 6:40 p.m.
- Vampire Weekend – 7:20 p.m.
- Cold play – 9 p.m.
How to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 in the UK
If you’re in the UK, the easiest way to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend is via BBC iPlayer, the official BBC streaming service. You can also listen to the event via, you guessed it, Radio 1. BBC Sounds should also have content.
Raye’s highly anticipated set will also be broadcast on BBC One at 11:10 p.m. on Saturday, while Coldplay’s performance will be on the same channel at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday.
As these are all BBC properties, you must have a TV license. If you don’t have it, Radio 1 will probably upload some of its biggest performances to its YouTube channel, as it did last year.
How to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 in the US and abroad
As far as we know, Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 will only be broadcast on the BBC’s UK channels. The exception is performances uploaded to YouTube.
The BBC website says that most content is available live for radio and BBC Sounds, but not all – so the Big Weekend may not be available to international listeners.
Additionally, BBC iPlayer is geo-locked for people residing in the United Kingdom. However, there is a way to continue watching this streaming platform if you travel abroad: by using a VPN. It stands for Virtual Private Network and allows you to browse the Internet securely by redirecting your IP address.
You can connect to different servers across the world, including the UK. This means you can browse the web and appear as if you’re from another country, giving you access to websites you wouldn’t normally be able to visit.
There are many VPN providers, but we recommend NordVPN to unblock BBC iPlayer. Indeed, it offers a wide range of servers, a good user experience and decent prices.
We’ve broken down the steps below:
Sign up for NordVPN
Jim Martin / Foundry
You can register here. By default, the Complete plan is selected, but if you only need the VPN, click Get Standard. At the top, choose between a two-year, one-year, and one-month plan.
Follow the instructions to create your account and pay.
Install the NordVPN app
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If you’re using a phone or tablet, simply go to its app store and search for NordVPN, then install it.
If you’re on Windows, log into your NordVPN account in a web browser, go to the Downloads section and click Download app next to Get NordVPN for Windows. Run the downloaded file to install it.
Launch NordVPN
Jim Martin / Foundry
Launch the app and log in using the email address and password you entered when creating an account with NordVPN. In Windows you should see a screen like this, but other applications are very similar.
Use the list of locations (the word icon in the top left) or scroll to the UK and tap Connect to London. If prompted, allow NordVPN to establish a VPN connection. You may need to enter your Windows password or, on a mobile device, your password.
Wait for the VPN to connect
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You should see a message telling you that the VPN is connected. You can see it with the green CONNECTED and a padlock above the UK.
Open iPlayer
Jim Martin / Foundry
Log in with your BBC account (create one if you don’t have one), then find something to watch. This should work just fine as the VPN makes it look like you are in the UK.
You can find out more about the process and guidelines in our article on how to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad.
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