Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 22
Fatboy Slim Closes Radio 1 Big Weekend Day 1 for 62-Year-Old DJ's Sunderland Crowd
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 22

Fatboy Slim Closes Radio 1 Big Weekend Day 1 for 62-Year-Old DJ's Sunderland Crowd

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 22

Summary

  • Thousands at Sunderland's Herrington Country Park closed opening day chanting through Fatboy Slim's headline set, which ended Radio 1's first all-dance Friday at Big Weekend.
  • The 62-year-old DJ built the set around nostalgia and mash-ups, teasing Praise You, dropping The Rockafeller Skank and folding in samples from Queen, Eminem and The Killers.
  • Fisher, MK and Sonny Fodera kept the main stage in club mode earlier, with pyro, confetti and guest singer Poppy Baskcomb helping sustain the dance-focused bill.
  • HorsegiirL pulled out because of sickness, but tens of thousands are still expected across the three-day festival, with Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean headlining the weekend's next two nights.

Insights

As EDM's market value soars, why do most artists remain unheard, and can technology reverse this trend?
With AI generating billion-play hits, what is the future of human artistry and authenticity in electronic music?
While festivals celebrate community, are safety measures evolving fast enough to combat new dangers like fentanyl-laced drugs?