Festival Atmosphere at Herrington Country Park
Music enthusiasts continue to fill Radio 1's Big Weekend for its third and concluding day. Sunderland's Herrington Country Park is alive with vibrant festival energy as thousands gather to witness nearly 100 performances throughout the event.
The final day’s lineup includes acts such as CMAT, Niall Horan, Myles Smith, and Ezra Collective, with attendees enjoying the last moments of live music, sunshine, and entertainment.
Closing the weekend will be Olivia Dean, who is set to perform her first-ever UK festival headline set starting at 20:45 BST. The London-based singer’s appearance marks the conclusion of one of the city’s most significant recent music events.
Early Performances and Audience Engagement
DJ Maia Beth from Washington opened the main stage, energizing the crowd with a selection of "happy anthems," including The Killers’ "Somebody Told Me" and Rihanna’s "We Found Love."
Wearing a Newcastle football shirt, Maia Beth received the loudest cheer of the morning when she played Sam Fender’s "That Sound."
Kiera, 23, traveled from Darlington with her friend Olivia to attend the third day.
"We can't wait for Olivia Dean and Jorja Smith - wish they did more events up in the North East."
Sarah and Joe, both 20 and fans of Sam Fender, traveled six hours by coach from Dudley in the West Midlands to attend the festival.
"We're manifesting Sam Fender comes out with Olivia Dean," Joe said.
"We came yesterday loved Louis Tomlinson, I've seen him five times this year he was great yesterday. I'm also a big fan of Niall Horan so looking forward to seeing him too," Sarah added.
Performances and Artist Experiences
Niall Horan expressed some nerves about performing his first gig in nearly a year and a half but credited the audience for easing his anxiety.
"You're a lovely, hospitable welcoming people," he said. "This is my kind of crowd."
Myles Smith from Luton brought a US hoedown vibe to Sunderland with upbeat stomp-clap anthems like "Nice To Meet You" and "We Can Dance."
During his performance of "Gold," Smith engaged with the crowd by running into the audience, posing for selfies, and giving high fives to fans in the front row.
"I need to go back to the gym," he joked after the song ended. "I'm so out of breath after that."
Festival Features and Support
Beyond the headline acts, the weekend featured a packed schedule of live music and DJ sets across three stages, complemented by a variety of food and drink options.
BBC Music correspondent Mark Savage noted that security personnel at the main stage were assisting by distributing water to attendees to help them cope with the heat.
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