Radio 1 Opens Big Weekend With 1st All-Stage Dance Day for Tens of Thousands

7 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 22

Friday turns Radio 1's Big Weekend into its first all-stage dance takeover, with Fatboy Slim, Fisher, MK and Clementine Douglas leading the opening day in Sunderland.
Tens of thousands are expected at Herrington Country Park as the broadcaster leans into dance music's renewed pull, before Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean headline the festival's final two days.
Spotify says under-25 dance music listening has risen 73% worldwide since 2020, while TikTok reported a 50% increase in videos using #ElectronicMusic in 2024.
Artists and DJs at the event say cheaper bedroom production and social platforms have pushed dance further into the mainstream, helping tracks like Cassö's "Prada" top 1 billion streams.

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