New bands and locations revealed for Radio 1’s Big Weekend

Coldplay and Jorja Smith have been announced for Radio 1’s Big Weekend of Live Music 2021, joining Ed Sheeran, AJ Tracey, Anne-Marie, Celeste, Royal Blood and more on the bill.

The event has over 120 live performances and will take place across four days for the first time in the event’s 18-year history.

Around 50 of the performances will be brand new live sets recorded exclusively for Big Weekend 2021, with five filmed on location around the UK and more to be recorded in the BBC’s Radio Theatre.

Coldplay perform at Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, the centuries-old monastic ruins that formed the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, while Ed Sheeran’s performance takes place at Snape Maltings, a landmark arts complex on the banks of the River Alde in Suffolk.

AJ Tracey performs at The Regal, a basketball court belonging to South London community hub The Black Prince Trust; Jorja Smith performs at the iconic Alexandra Palace in North London; and Royal Blood perform on Brighton Pier in Sussex.

Performances will be broadcast on Radio 1 with full sets available on BBC Sounds.

BBC One will also broadcast a 90 minute Big Weekend special hosted by Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James.