BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is understood to be making a landmark return to Dundee, three years after the city's second turn at the event was kiboshed by Covid. The Record understands from festival insiders that the City of Discovery will play host to the annual festival on May 26-28, boasting a world-class line-up of big hitters.
The east coast city was set to host Big Weekend in 2020 at Camperdown Park, which had been the venue for the festival in 2006. A tie-in with local bakers Clarks saw the world's biggest Dundee cake baked for the announcement; the line-up was set to include Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Camila Cabello, Calvin Harris, AJ Tracey and Biffy Clyro.
However, growing fears over public safety as the coronavirus pandemic took hold prompted concerns that the event would not go ahead. Organisers ultimately canned it on March 13 – ten days before then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked people to "stay at home" – and replaced it with a virtual event online instead in 2020 and 2021.
Scots music fans had hoped Dundee would get first dibs on the Big Weekend's triumphant return in 2022. However, event bosses handed the gig to Coventry, which had been named the UK City of Culture the year before.
But the BBC's decision – as yet not officially announced – suggested the broadcaster has not forgotten its promise to Scotland's sunniest city.
A BBC statement read: "We are very grateful for the large number of cities across the UK interested in hosting Big Weekend, which attracts thousands of festival goers and generates significant income for the local area. All our decisions are made on what’s best for our young audience, and we’ll be looking to announce more information later this year.”
Radio 1's Big Weekend has always boasted a veritable who's who of pop music. The 2006 event in Dundee featured the likes of Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Muse, Keane, Pink and the Sugababes on the main stage, joined by rockers such as Primal Scream, Bloc Party and the Zutons on the second stage.
Previous to this year's event, the Big Weekend last made landfall in Scotland in 2014, when the festival took over Glasgow. The BBC also staged four simultaneous festivals across the UK as part of the Biggest Weekend event in 2018, one of which was held at Scone Palace in Perth.
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