Olivia Dean Caps Radio 1 Big Weekend for 100,000 in Sunderland as Sunshine Lifts 3-Day Festival
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Olivia Dean Caps Radio 1 Big Weekend for 100,000 in Sunderland as Sunshine Lifts 3-Day Festival
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Summary
100,000 festivalgoers watched about 100 acts across three sunny days at Herrington Country Park, where Olivia Dean closed Radio 1's Big Weekend with her first major headline slot.
Dean's Sunday finale capped a breakthrough nine months after releasing The Art of Loving, with sold-out tours and awards helping turn any doubts about her intimate style on a main stage into a non-issue.
Radio 1 also leaned into electronic music by giving day one to its Dance Party brand, with Zara Larsson drawing praise for a more authentic pop persona and Fatboy Slim ending the night with a cross-generational set.
Sunderland's local identity shaped the event as cheaper tickets and resident allocations brought in hometown fans, while artists and attendees said the festival spotlighted a city already buoyed by its football club's resurgence.