Technology
How to watch Radio 1’s big weekend in the UK, US and abroad
Every year, British broadcaster Radio 1 brings together some of the biggest artists from around the world for a three-day music festival. It moves through different towns and cities every year – the 2024 event starts at Stockwood Park in Luton.
If you can’t do it personally, don’t be afraid. Radio 1’s Big Weekend is available on a variety of media, and we’ve even found a method to tune in from outside the UK. Read on for more information.
When is Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024?
Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Luton takes place from Friday 24 May 2024 to Sunday 26 May 2024.
According to Radio 1’s website, the first headline act kicks off at 4pm BST on Friday. The event ends on Sunday at 10pm BST, although coverage will be available on-demand, and some television content will air later than the live timetable.
Who will perform during Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024?
You can watch the full Luton Big Weekend program here, but here are some highlights from the main stage:
Friday May 24
- Becky Hill – 4 p.m
- Nathan Dawe – 5:30 p.m
- Ella Henderson – 7:45 p.m
- Rudimental – 8:30 p.m
- Chase and status – 10 p.m
Saturday May 25
- Joël Corry – 1 p.m
- Rag n Bone Man – 2:20 p.m
- Jax Jones – 3:40 p.m
- Aitch – 5pm
- Griff – 6:30 p.m
- Mabel – 7:30 p.m
- Raye – 9pm
Sunday May 26
- AJ Tracey – 1pm
- London Grammar – 2.10pm
- Declan McKenna – 3.30pm
- Sabrina Timmerman – 4:40 p.m
- Olly Alexander – 6:05 PM
- Alyx Holcombe – 6:40 p.m
- Vampire Weekend – 7:20 p.m
- Coldplay – 9pm
How to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 in Britain
If you’re in the UK, the easiest way to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend is via BBC iPlayer, the official streaming service of the BBC. You can also listen to the event on, you guessed it, Radio 1. BBC Sounds should also have some content.
Raye’s highly anticipated set will also air on BBC One on Saturday at 11.10pm, while Coldplay’s performance will be on the same channel on Sunday at 10.30pm.
As these are all BBC properties you will need to have a TV licence. If you haven’t, Radio 1 will probably upload some of his biggest performances to his YouTube channel, just like last year.
How to watch Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 in the US and abroad
As far as we know, Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2024 will only be broadcast on the BBC’s British channels. An exception is performances uploaded to YouTube.
The BBC website states that most content will be available live on radio and BBC Sounds, but not all – so there is a chance that the Big Weekend will not be available to international listeners.
Additionally, BBC iPlayer is geo-locked to people in Great Britain. However, there is a way to still watch this streaming platform when you travel abroad: by using a VPN. This stands for Virtual Private Network and allows you to surf the Internet securely by rerouting your IP address.
You can connect to various servers around the world, including the United Kingdom. This means that you can surf the Internet and appear as if you are from another country, giving you access to websites that you would not normally be able to visit.
There are many VPN providers, but we recommend this one NordVPN for unblocking BBC iPlayer. This is because it offers a wide range of servers, good user experience and decent prices.
We’ve broken down the steps below:
Sign up for NordVPN
Jim Martin / Foundry
You can sign up here. By default, the Complete plan is selected, but if you only need the VPN, click Get Standard. Choose between a two-year, one-year and one-month subscription at the top.
Follow the prompts to create your account and pay.
Install the NordVPN app
Jim Martin / Foundry
If you’re using a phone or tablet, go to the app store, search for NordVPN and then install it.
If you’re using Windows, log in to your NordVPN account in a web browser, go to the Downloads section and click Download App next to Buy NordVPN for Windows. Run the downloaded file to install it.
Launch NordVPN
Jim Martin / Foundry
Launch the app and log in with the email address and password you entered when creating an account with NordVPN. On Windows you should see a screen like this, but other apps look very similar.
Use the list of locations (the word icon at the top left) or scroll the map to Great Britain and tap Connect to London. If requested, grant NordVPN permission to set up a VPN connection. You may need to enter your Windows password or, on a mobile device, your passcode.
Wait for the VPN to connect
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You should see a message stating that the VPN is connected. You can see this by the green CONNECTED and a padlock above Great Britain.
Open iPlayer
Jim Martin / Foundry
Log in with your BBC account (create one if you don’t already have one) and find something to watch. It should work fine as the VPN gives the impression that you are in Great Britain.
You can read more about the process and guidelines in our article on how to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad.
