Fatboy Slim and Sonny Fodera to Lead Radio 1's Big Weekend Opening Day
DJs Fatboy Slim and Sonny Fodera are set to headline the dance-focused first day of BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend as the festival returns to Sunderland this year.
The opening day lineup will also include Australian producer FISHER, Birmingham-born singer Clementine Douglas, and American DJ MK performing on the main stage.
The annual music festival is scheduled to take place at Herrington Country Park in Sunderland from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 May.
Tickets for the first day will be available from 09:00 GMT, with priority access granted to local residents.
Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, has become a prominent figure on the UK music festival circuit, known for his setlists featuring crowd favorites such as "Praise You," "Right Here, Right Now," and "The Rockafeller Skank." He gained recognition in the 1990s with a series of club hits.
His co-headliner, Australian DJ and producer Sonny Fodera, is recognized for his emotive house sound.
The Friday lineup will also showcase Radio 1 DJs Arielle Free, Danny Howard, Charlie Hedges, and Sarah Story, alongside German DJ HorsegiirL and Scottish producer Ewan McVicar.
Bassline DJ Notion, trance specialist Marlon Hoffstadt, and house DJ L.P. Rhythm are included in the bill, with Ahadadream scheduled to perform back-to-back with Arthi.
Sunderland last hosted Radio 1's Big Weekend in May 2005, featuring artists such as Gwen Stefani, Foo Fighters, and the Black Eyed Peas.
The three-day event this year is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans and will feature approximately 100 acts.
The headliners and lineup for Saturday will be announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show on Monday morning.
For Friday, 31,000 general admission tickets priced at £34.50 each will be available, along with 2,960 VIP tickets costing £86.00 each.
Tickets for Saturday and Sunday will go on sale at 17:00 GMT on Wednesday, with general admission priced at £44.50 per day and VIP tickets at £106.00.
Friday tickets and access to the VIP area are restricted to individuals aged 18 and over. However, attendees aged 15 and under may attend the weekend events if accompanied by an adult.
Festival-goers can purchase up to two tickets per person per day and may attend Friday and one weekend day only (either Saturday or Sunday), but not both weekend days.
Radio 1 states that this restriction is intended to maximize the number of people who have the opportunity to buy tickets.
Last year, approximately 100,000 music fans attended the event held in Sefton Park, Liverpool, which was nicknamed "Scouse Coachella."
Tom Grennan, Sam Fender, and Mumford & Sons headlined the event, with Ed Sheeran making a surprise appearance and former Little Mix member JADE becoming emotional on stage.
Big Weekend, BBC Radio 1's flagship event, is hosted in a different location each year, often in towns and cities that typically do not host many large live music events.
In previous years, artists such as US pop star Taylor Swift have performed in Norwich and Swansea, grime artist Stormzy in Exeter, pop rock band The 1975 in Dundee, and US singer Bruno Mars in Londonderry.
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