More than 100 acts set for Radio 1 Big Weekend 2026 in Sunderland
Radio 1 Big Weekend 2026 will take over Herrington Country Park in Sunderland from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 May, with more than 100 major artists on the bill. Around 100,000 fans are expected across the three-day festival, so the event is already shaping travel plans well beyond the park itself.
Herrington Country Park lineup
Olivia Dean, Zara Larsson, Fatboy Slim, Fisher, MK, Sonny Fodera, CMAT, Dermot Kennedy, Ellie Goulding, Kehlani, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan are among the headline acts set to perform. Peter McIntyre, executive director of economy and place at Sunderland City Council, said the festival will be “an incredible showcase for Sunderland and the region” and added: “The Radio 1 Big Weekend is going to be an incredible showcase for Sunderland and the region, with some of the biggest names in music performing across the three day festival, as well as some of our fantastic homegrown talent.”
Travel hubs for Sunderland
The easiest route to the site is via designated transport hubs at Sunderland’s Park Lane Interchange, Heworth Metro Station in Gateshead and Durham Park and Ride. Shuttle buses must be pre-booked at bigweekendtravel.com, while regional coach returns are available from 23 locations across the North East Combined Authority area and Tees Valley Combined Authority region.
Plan ahead for busy routes
McIntyre also said: “We want everyone to have a brilliant time while they’re here, so our advice is to plan your journey in advance and make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get there on the day.” He added: “It’s really important to pre-plan how you’re going to get to the festival and back again at the end of the day and to book a place on one of the shuttle buses as soon as possible to secure a place.”
Public transport and the North East road network are likely to be especially busy over the weekend, with local buses expected to be extremely busy on event days and subject to delays and diversions because of road closures. McIntyre said people not heading to the festival should still expect disruption around Sunderland, which is the practical reality of a draw that large: plan early, book transport, and leave extra time.
