BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend: Thousands expected for Coventry festival

Becky Hill is among the performers on the main stage at Radio 1's Big Weekend

Thousands of music fans are expected to descend on Coventry for Radio 1's Big Weekend.

The three-day event will kick off on Friday with a dance night alongside Future Sounds and BBC Music Introducing acts.

Dozens of artists including Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris, and Becky Hill will take to the main stage across Saturday and Sunday.

Up to 80,000 music fans are expected to come to the city.

This will be the first time Radio 1's Big Weekend has been open to visitors since 2019 with the pandemic forcing the 2020 and 2021 events online.

Fans on Saturday at the War Memorial Park will get the chance to see Aitch, AJ Tracey, Anne Marie, Central Cee and Yungblud on the main stage alongside Calvin Harris and Ed Sheeran.

Acts on the Future Sounds Stage on the same day will include Coventry-born rapper Pa Salieu who said he was "excited to be finally performing in my home town Coventry".

Harry Styles will be performing a full solo set on the main stage on Sunday

Sunday's artists on the main stage also include George Ezra, Lorde and Mabel.

Local artist Danniella Dee said she was "really excited" to play the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday.

She said support from local radio station BBC CWR had "given me a platform and exposure that I definitely wouldn't have had releasing music on my own".

"It's made me feel more connected," she said. "It's made me feel actually you can be from a small city and you still get the support that you need."

Coventry artist Danniella Dee will play the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday

Most of the tickets for the event sold out within hours of being made available with 60% initially reserved for people living in the city.

Several main roads in and around Coventry will be closed during the festival and residents have been warned of noise and the partial closure of the park.

• How to catch all of the action at Radio 1's Big Weekend 2022

The road closures will be carried out in two phases, with roads around the south of the city the most affected.

Rising stars Artemas, Celina Sharma, Deyah, Jordan MacKampa, Tamera, Thomas Headon, USNA and Willow Kayne will also perform on the Saturday at Big Weekend on the BBC Music Introducing stage.

Alfie Indra, Crawlers, Danniella Dee, Hope Tala, Lizzie Esau, Piri & Tommy, Queen Millz and Sad Night Dynamite join the line-up for Sunday.

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