BBC Music's Biggest Weekend 2018

Festival guide

Spawned from BBC Radio 1’s annual, city-hopping One Big Weekend event, The Biggest Weekend is set to take place from the 25th to 28th May, across four locations in four nations, and will be broadcast live online and on multiple BBC radio and television channels. Swansea, Belfast, Coventry and Perth are the cities that have been picked to host more than 175,000 punters, plus some of the world’s biggest stars from the worlds of pop, jazz, folk, rock and more. Check out the diverse array of talent set to appear below.

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    Jorja Smith

    Though there’s been buzz around her since 2016, Jorja Smith got the golden ticket of a Drake co-sign in 2017, featuring on More Life with the hip-hop behemoth. Arguably, this year’s been even better for the Walsall-raised 20-year-old, because she now boasts collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Stormzy under her belt, plus the coveted BRIT for Critics’ Choice. Catch her at Singleton Park, Swansea, on Saturday, 26th May and get a sneak preview of songs from her forthcoming debut, Lost & Found. Come prepared to be spellbound by those caramel, smooth tones.

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    Courtney Barnett

    Aside from a knack for inventing impressively verbose song titles and possessing a perpetual air of world-weariness, Courtney Barnett’s other super powers include penning brilliantly bone-dry lyrics and breezy, psych-infused melodies. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter is currently enjoying wall-to-wall acclaim for her second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, and will be celebrating by playing some of its many highlights at the Belfast leg of the Biggest Weekend on Friday 25th May. Hopefully she’ll be wheeling out classics like ‘Avant Gardener’ and ‘Depreston’ too.

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    J Hus

    Offering saturated bursts of afrobeats, grime, and bashment, topped with distinctly British flow, J Hus’ 2017 debut captured the hazy spirit of Notting Hill Carnival in sonic form. A year on, the East Londoner is still riding the wave of success that Common Sense brought him, with BRIT and Mercury Prize nominations under his belt, plus a prize from NME for ‘Best Album’. If you haven’t caught him live yet, the BBC’s Biggest Weekend provides the perfect opportunity to catch-up. He plays Radio 1’s Other Stage at Singleton Park, Swansea, on Sunday, 27th May.

Big names

Don't miss

More from the line-up

  • Ash

    Interview

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    In the old days there was a real infrastructure there to babysit the craziest of musicians.

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  • Rae Morris

    Interview

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    It’s about fierceness and just being f**king badass and strong.

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  • Franz Ferdinand

    Interview

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    We’re not the kind of band that you sit down cross-legged to come see live; you’re gonna be up on your feet and feeling the beat.

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  • Shame

    Interview

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    We literally signed our record deal on the rubber dinghy rapids.

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  • Superorganism

    Interview

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    We’re trying to provoke people. A strong reaction is the ideal reaction, whether that’s positive or negative.

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  • Dream Wife

    Interview

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    We’ve all overcome a lot to be able to do what we do in Dream Wife, in terms of personal battles.

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  • Wolf Alice

    Interview

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    We let excitement overtake anxiety and nerves.

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  • Years & Years

    Interview

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    When we take a step back and reflect on what has happened this year, it’s been crazy.

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  • Little Dragon

    Interview

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    It’s a blurry, slick, fantasy ride: sometimes light, sometimes dark; sometimes up, sometimes down…

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