Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

If you were surprised to hear a rap verse during Human, it’s actually not that much a departure.

Before he was Rag'n'Bone Man, he was Slip-jam B - a hip-hop freestyler who once supported KRS-One on a UK tour.

He switched to singing after entering an open-mic contest.

“It felt different to rapping - more pressured,” he told me back in 2017.

“But it literally took one time for me to do it. And for people to come up and say - dude, do you realise what your voice sounds like? For me to be like - OK, maybe I should do this more often!"

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Singer Saloni is one of several new artists performing on the BBC Introducing stage this weekend. She's singing originals and covers in multiple languages.

Saloni combines that with Western Pop and R&B beats.

Speaking to Newsbeat backstage before her set, Saloni says she hopes that greater British Asian representation at the festival this year will “make it easier for the next generation of Asian artists”.

“It's amazing to be part of that. And hopefully in the future there'll be more of this," she says.

As for where she wants to go next?

“As far as possible. I want to be performing to a huge, huge crowd,” Saloni says enthusiastically.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

There we go!

The one everyone has been waiting for - Human.

Rag’n’Bone Man finally gives the crowd the song they've been hoping to hear.

A “wooooooo” from everyone around me.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Wearing a ra-ra skirt and a party hat, Caity Baser brought a party vibe to the new music stage earlier.

Her irrepressibly cheeky pop anthems have drawn a huge crowd - and Caity thanked the crowd for coming to celebrate her birthday with her.

An impromptu chorus of Happy Birthday followed… before Caity admitted she was pulling their leg.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Rag'n'Bone Man jokes he will “play THAT song” but not yet, in case everyone leaves.

I wonder which song he means…

...we then hear Skin, which is quite the tune.

Andrew Rogers
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Yesterday, the hottest item here at Big Weekend was the Long Boi bucket hat.

You couldn't move more than a few steps without seeing the slightly quackers cartoon of what was (allegedly) the world's tallest duck and the University of York's mascot.

Long Boi quickly became a national treasure on Greg James' BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, before his untimely death in 2023. RIP.

Now though, the hats are totally sold out here. Irene works on the merch stand and says she saw people running from the gates when they opened just to get a chance to buy one.

"Everyone's been asking about the hats. They were very popular, and I can see why," she says.

She's had to disappoint people like Richard and Mackenzie. I met them at the stand asking where they could get one.

So is there any other merch they want?

"Probably not, no. I would get a straw hat, but it doesn't work with my head," one of them says.

Newsbeat has approached Long Boi superfan Greg James for comment.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

“Are you happy?” asks Rag'n'Bone Man. “Cos I’m happy.

“If you’d have told me when I was a little chubby youth that I’d be on stage at Radio One Big Weekend I’d have said what are you on about? Shut up," he says.

“But I’m here,” Rag ‘N’ Bone Man adds.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Rag’n’Bone man has a beaming smile on his face as he performs Lovers In A Past Life.

He says he’s been working on a new album, and wants to share a new track with the crowd.

We hear What Do You Believe In? which was released in the past week.

Here comes Rag‘n’Bone Manpublished at 16:42 British Summer Time 25 May

16:42 BST 25 May

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Ready for some blues and soul? Because here comes Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, with a voice so voluminous, they could turn the speakers off.

Expect to hear chart-bothering hits like Human and Giant – but also a fresh new single, What Do You Believe In?, which was Jack Saunders’ Hottest Record on Thursday night.

“It started off as quite a sad subject,” he told Jack. “I wrote it at a time when my mum was losing her life – but it’s a song about hope.”

Deliberately written in a major key, the song grapples with grief but concludes that, if we leave the world with a legacy of love, then the legacy will last forever.

“It was properly cathartic,” says Rory. “I came out of the other side of writing this song genuinely feeling better about the whole situation.”

BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend has been speaking to festival-goers in Luton to find out what people think makes the town standout.

Here's what they've got to say:

Danny Fullbrook
BBC Three Counties Radio

Rag'n'Bone Man is the next act due to appear on the main stage and is excited to surprise fans with new music.

He says: "I got a brand new song out yesterday, and I've not played it to many people and I'm playing it today, so it's nice to play new music for people."

The Human singer says he arrived in the town at about eight this morning and believes Big Weekend is a "positive thing for the people in Luton, because places like this get overlooked a bit".

However, he admits that he's "only flown into Luton accidentally; I've not seen the sites".

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, Ian West/PA Wire

That felt like one of those festival sets that moves an artist to the next level.

After a couple of years as a stadium-level support act, Griff knew exactly how to showcase her supple, melodic pop to the Big Weekend audience.

I’d wager she left the stage with a couple of thousand new fans.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Quite a few people sitting on the grass, enjoying pizza and listening to Griff on the main stage just now. Picnic vibes almost.

Griff says 19 July is the day her first ever album comes out and asks fans for “support”.

Miss Me Too brings an extra boost of energy from Griff, who is bouncing around the stage - looking as if she is completely lost in her music and entertaining the crowd.

“My name is Griff - can I do one more song for you guys?”

The answer from the festival is an emphatic “yes”.

Cue Vertigo.

Griff's new music pays offpublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 25 May

16:09 BST 25 May

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, PA Media

It’s a risky move to play brand new material to a festival crowd - but Griff has a knack for instantly memorable melodies that mitigates that.

Her first new track of the day, Hole In My Pocket, has the audience singing along by the second chorus.

The second, a lachrymose ballad called Pillow In My Arms, doesn’t quite land with the same impact, despite the singer’s impassioned vocal.

But the summer breezy vibes of her last newbie, Cycle, has the crowd bouncing like 35,000 space hoppers.

On balance, it feels like the gamble paid off.

Andrew Rogers
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Cat Burns closed her set with the empowering heartbreak anthem Go.

She had the tent singing along with every word.

And let’s face it, if you’ve been through a break up in the last year, you’ve probably listened to this one.

Just before that we got something brand new from Cat Burns - a track called Early Twenties.

Not the first time we’ve had new tracks dropped from artists at this year’s Big Weekend.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

A couple of belters, including Black Hole, from Griff, who is performing on the main stage right now.

She says it’s only festival she is doing this summer, so let’s “have fun!”

Overheard from a fan near me: “Griff has such a wholesome vibe doesn’t she?”

Good vibes and probably the best weather we’ve had all weekend, glorious heat and sunshine.

What more could you want on a Saturday afternoon?

Andrew Rogers
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

I've just been watching Cat Burns play some of her biggest hits on the new music stage.

She brought in such a crowd that it spilled out into the field around the tent. Good thing there’s the extra screen for anyone not keen on squeezing in.

Cat Burns says it’s been a hard time for her recently but says it’s performing that gives her joy.

Then she dedicates her song Live More & Love More to living life to the full.

Danny Fullbrook
BBC Three Counties Radio

Image source, BBC/Danny Fullbrook

Radio 1 stars Rickie Haywood-Williams and Melvin Odoom have praised Luton and revealed it is the place where the presenting pair first met.

The duo were media students at the University of Bedfordshire in the town between 1998 and 2001 and did shows on university radio station Luton FM, now known as Radio Lab, during that time.

The broadcasters, who present a show on BBC Radio 1 with Charlie Hedges, say having Radio 1's Big Weekend in Luton is "such a huge thing".

"I had some of the best moments of my life at this university... It was an amazing time; we had the best lecturers."

The stars are presenting a live show from the Stockwood Park festival on BBC Radio 1.

Read more here.

DJ and producer Jax Jones lit up the main stagepublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 25 May

15:29 BST 25 May

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, Ian West/PA Wire

If it’s sunny, uplifting house tracks you want, then Jax Jones is here to help.

The DJ and producer arrived this afternoon with an armload of hits, including You Don't Know Me (featuring tonight’s headliner, Raye), Where Did You Go (featuring MNEK) and Out Out (with Charli XCX).

A guaranteed party-starter, he’s also been known to break down the process of making music on stage – showing fans how he builds tracks, layer by layer, until they become massive honking chart hits.

Image source, EPA

Fresh from her haul of accolades at the Brit Awards, pop singer RAYE is tonight’s headliner on the main stage at about 21:00 BST.

Check out why she won songwriter of the year, best new artist and British album of the year(along with a handful of other awards).

Throughout the rest of today, the main stage plays host to pop singer Griff soon at 15:25, the bluesy, rocky soul of Rag'n'Bone Man at 16:40, Mabel at 18:15 and rapper Aitch at 19:35. Joel Corry and Jax Jones got things under while earlier.

Meanwhile, on the new music stage, Charli XCX tops the bill at about 20:00. Cat Burns is performing now on that stage, Dylan is expected at 15:55, Tems at 16:50, Shygirl at 17:45 and The Last Dinner Party at 18:45. Alfie Templeman and Caity Base were on stage a little while ago.

Gates opened today at about 10:30 and today's opening performers took to the stage from 13:00.