Radio 2, the UK’s most listened to radio station with 13.23 million weekly listeners (RAJAR Q1 2024), presents Radio 2 in the Park – a THREE day poptastic juggernaut, featuring performances from some of the world’s most-loved pop stars alongside DJ sets from some of the station’s adored presenters.
The festivities take place in Moor Park in Preston, Lancashire on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September. For the first time, there will also be a Friday night Radio 2 in the Park Pre-Party on the DJ stage.
As announced earlier today by Zoe Ball on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show:
Sting will front his new power rock trio to headline the BBC’s festivities in Preston on Saturday night. Fresh off the STING 3.0 tour, Sting (vocals, bass), long-time collaborator Dominic Miller (guitar) and dynamic drummer Chris Maas (Mumford & Sons, Maggie Rogers) will be performing selections of music from Sting’s timeless discography, including solo hits, surprise rarities and The Police classics. After launching in Germany last week, the STING 3.0 Tour has already received an amazing reaction from fans and media.
Pet Shop Boys will headline Sunday night, presenting their highly acclaimed Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live production - a set featuring classic hits and the latest singles from their best-selling new album ‘Nonetheless’.
Tickets for all three shows will go on sale at 8.15am tomorrow (Tuesday 4th June).
The full line-up is:
Saturday 7th September
Sting
Sugababes
Snow Patrol
Craig David
Kim Wilde
Pixie Lott
Shaznay Lewis
Travis
Sunday 8th September
Pet Shop Boys
Manic Street Preachers
Sister Sledge feat. Kathy Sledge
Paul Heaton
Gabrielle
Shed Seven
Delta Goodrem
Haircut 100
Following last year's launch of the Radio 2 DJ stage in Victoria Park, Leicester, the ‘big top of bop’ will return to host some of the station’s favourite presenters who will play some of the best music in the world from the past six decades across the weekend.
As announced on this morning’s Vernon Kay show on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, this year for the first time, in addition to the Saturday and Sunday events, there will be a Pre-Party on Friday 6th September from 5-11pm, featuring some of the Radio 2 family of DJs taking to the stage to entertain 5000 listeners. Presenters including Sara Cox, Vernon Kay, Scott Mills, Rylan and DJ Spoony will each be playing sets to kick off the weekend in style.
Presenters will also be introducing artists on stage and broadcasting from Radio 2 in the Park across the weekend, with shows and sets available live plus on demand on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer across the weekend and for 30 days afterwards.
All tickets go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday 4th June at 8.15am, and will be available via www.bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark along with full terms and conditions. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday events, which take place over a 170,000 square foot site, will be priced from £59 plus booking fee. Tickets to the Radio 2 in the Park Pre-Party will be available at £30 plus booking fee.
Sting said: “I’ve never been to Preston in my life, so I'm really looking forward to joining the Radio 2 line up as the Saturday headliner. I want to give a full picture of my entire career. Of course I will sing Roxanne, Message In A Bottle, and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, but there will also be some deep cuts as well. We will be a trio on stage which is very flexible, and the songs are strong enough to take them back to their bare essence with no keyboards, no backing vocalists - just me, a guitar player and a drummer.”
Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author and activist Sting formed The Police in 1977, releasing five studio albums which earned them six Grammys and two Brits. As a solo artist, Sting has received an additional 11 Grammys, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar nominations and a TONY nomination, and has sold 100 million albums from his work with The Police and as a solo artist. Sting’s last album, The Bridge, was released in 2021 and he is currently on critically-acclaimed a world tour.
