It was the biggest free-ticketed music event in Europe, until a fee for tickets was introduced in 2018, and always includes a host of new artists.

Since 2005 it has been held once a year instead, usually in May, with the exception of 2012 when a larger festival took place over the weekend of 23–24 June in Hackney, East London.

In late 2021, it was revealed that Radio 1's Big Weekend would return in a live tradition for the first time in three years, with Coventry being the host city for this event on 27 to 29 May 2022.

[4] A full Friday programme took place in Luton, with all stages being used on this day for the first time, although it was still generally based around dance music.

[5] [22] Tickets to the festival are, notably, free (except the small booking fee which was introduced from the 2012 event onwards) but are usually now restricted to one pair per person.

People wishing to attend register on the BBC Radio 1 website and pairs of tickets are then randomly allocated and given out.

It featured the following line-up: Saturday 18 September Sunday 19 September On 7 and 8 May 2005, the Big Weekend was held at Penshaw Monument in Herrington Country Park, Sunderland, and featured artists included: Saturday 7 May Sunday 8 May In 2006, the Big Weekend was held in Camperdown Park, Dundee on 13 and 14 May 2006 and featured artists which included: Saturday 13 May Sunday 14 May Many of the BBC Radio 1 DJs including Pete Tong, Tim Westwood and Chris Moyles attended too, and held a number of competitions so that people could win tickets.

Throughout the run up to the event 'Frozen Indigo Angel' would appear in various places online and on-air, with it being the player's mission to hunt down tickets.

[44] Concern was raised after a large number of locals commented that even those living within the close vicinity of the park did not receive tickets, with some in the Medway towns winning multiple times.

[46] Saturday 10 May Sunday 11 May The national newspapers had also reported that Justin Timberlake could be a special guest - performing with Madonna.

Saturday 22 May[49] Sunday 23 May Live Lounge Tent The announcement of location and dates for Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011 was made by Scott Mills on 30 March 2011, with his breakfast show (he was covering for Chris Moyles that week) being broadcast from Trinity School, Carlisle that morning.

As usual, competitions to win VIP tickets were run on various Radio 1 shows in the weeks leading up to the Big Weekend.

Foo Fighters The Black Eyed Peas Tinie Tempah Chase & Status Nicole Scherzinger Plan B Ellie Goulding Jessie J Arctic Monkeys Lady Gaga My Chemical Romance Taio Cruz The Script Katy B Professor Green Olly Murs The Wombats Bruno Mars Swedish House Mafia Friendly Fires Nero Panic!

at the Disco Everything Everything Cage the Elephant The Joy Formidable Wretch 32 The Strokes Magnetic Man Noah and the Whale Devlin Two Door Cinema Club The Vaccines Yasmin Pulled Apart By Horses Friends Electric Aaron Delahuntly Rizzle Kicks Yaaks Luke Bingham Fiona Clayton Saturday Night Gym Club Baron Van Alias Birds vs Planes

MyElectrik Masters in France DJ Vimto vs Jah Digga Linc Polarsets Among Brothers Let's Buy Happiness Colt 45 Zane Lowe Jaymo and Andy George Judge Jules Pete Tong Riva Starr Pete Tong vs Vernon Kay Rob da Bank MistaJam Annie Mac vs. Nick Grimshaw Target Cameo Westwood Skream and Benga Annie Mac Toddla T Fabio and Grooverider Kutski Kissy Sell Out Calvin Harris Westwood vs. Moyles Jaguar Skills Zane vs. Fearne Dev DJ Semtex Westwood Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011 was streamed live on the Radio 1 website.

[52] On both days of the festival, a number of unannounced special guests performed with artists on the bill, the most noteworthy of which were Rihanna, M.I.A.

Saturday 23 June Jay-Z Kasabian Nicki Minaj Ed Sheeran Example Rizzle Kicks Leona Lewis Rihanna Dizzee Rascal Florence and the Machine Tinie Tempah Jessie J Plan B Professor Green Jack White Lostprophets The Vaccines The Maccabees Rudimental Delilah Michael Kiwanuka Rita Ora Jessie Ware Chase & Status Magnetic Man Lana Del Rey Enter Shikari Sub Focus Ben Howard Santigold Bombay Bicycle Club Sean Paul Flo Rida will.i.am D'banj Trey Songz Tinchy Stryder Chip Boy Better Know DJ Fresh Emeli Sandé Dappy Nas Wretch 32 B.o.B Gyptian Taio Cruz Azealia Banks Maverick Sabre Devlin Sway Lethal B Mindless Behavior Labrinth Swedish House Mafia Deadmau5 Calvin Harris Eric Prydz Nero Annie Mac David Guetta Andy C Madeon Pete Tong Flux Pavilion & Doctor P Zane Lowe Nihal Robbo Ranx Semtex Benji B Mosca Rob da Bank Moyles vs Westwood DJ Target DJ Cameo Tim Westwood DJ Edu Nihal Robbo Ranx Toddla T Friction B.Traits Skream & Benga Vernon vs Charlie Sloth MistaJam Tim Westwood Random Impulse The Skints In Search Of Isaac Danquah Lil Simz My Panda Shall Fly Paigey Cakey Cheekie Bugga UD Vocal Collective Xploder Arthur Beatrice Driving Lolita Joe Black Kersha Bailey Lola King and The Kickstarts Pepstar Project Hackney Collective Savages Stevie Neale ShezAr The new Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw announced that the Big Weekend would return to Derry in May 2013 to celebrate its title of UK City of Culture 2013, the same city that hosted the first of the two 2004 Big Weekends (although the actual site is different).

Biffy Clyro The Vaccines Two Door Cinema Club Labrinth Foals Ellie Goulding Conor Maynard The Saturdays Bruno Mars Paramore Thirty Seconds to Mars The Script Olly Murs Jake Bugg Wretch 32 Little Mix Rita Ora A$AP Rocky J. Cole Wiley Maverick Sabre Katy B AlunaGeorge Angel Haze DJ Fresh Kendrick Lamar alt-J Bring Me the Horizon The 1975 Iggy Azalea Kodaline Laura Mvula Frightened Rabbit Vampire Weekend Disclosure Bastille Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Everything Everything Jessie Ware Miles Kane We Are The Ocean

On 30 January, Nick Grimshaw, Rita Ora and Paolo Nutini announced that the 2014 event would be held in Glasgow to celebrate the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Encore On 23 January, Nick Grimshaw announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, that the 2015 event would be held at Earlham Park in Norwich, Norfolk, next to the University of East Anglia, taking place on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May.

The full lineup for main stage and the INMWT tent was announced on 20 April, Muse headlined on the Saturday and Foo Fighters on the Sunday.

Coldplay headlined the second and final night, with other acts performing including Bring Me the Horizon, Chase & Status, Ellie Goulding and Craig David.

Frontman Tyler Joseph climbed a mast whilst singing "Car Radio", which prompted BBC officials to appear and cut his microphone off, and ask bandmate Josh Dun to stop drumming.

[61] In order to take advantage of the absence of the Glastonbury Festival in 2018, 4 separate Big Weekends were held simultaneously between 25 and 28 May in four cities each in the UK's four countries.

On 27 February, Greg James announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show that the Big Weekend would be held in Stewart Park, Middlesbrough, England for 2019 with Miley Cyrus, The 1975, Little Mix, Mabel, Zara Larsson and Khalid performing.

[67] On 27 January, Greg James announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show that the Big Weekend would be returning to Camperdown Park in Dundee in 2020 with Dua Lipa and Harry Styles headlining.

[70][71] In late 2021, it was revealed that Radio 1's Big Weekend would return in a live tradition for the first time in three years, with Coventry being the host city for this event on 27 to 29 May 2022.

The festival took place in Stockwood Park[4] and was headlined by Coldplay, Chase & Status, Vampire Weekend, and Raye.

The first confirmed acts were Blossoms, Lola Young, Myles Smith, Sam Fender and Wet Leg.