| Radio 2 in the Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Genre | Adult contemporary |
| Dates | September |
| Location(s) |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Attendance | 45,000 |
| Website | www |
Radio 2 in the Park (formally known asRadio 2 Live,Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park andRadio 2's Festival in a Day) is a British music festival organised byBBC Radio 2. It took place from 2011 to 2019 inHyde Park in London and in 2017, the attendance was 45,000.[1] Following two cancelled years due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, in June 2022, the corporation announced that the festival would be moving away from London, with the 2022 festival set to be held over two days at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds however, it was cancelled following the death ofElizabeth II.[2] The festival returned in 2023 asRadio 2 in the Park live from Leicester. In April 2024 it was announced that the event would take place inPreston, Lancashire.
The idea behind the event was for music fans who enjoy live music but are not comfortable with the idea of a full multi-day festival to be able to experience the variety of artists and the atmosphere that such a festival would offer, without the associated necessities such as camping. The festival is designed to appeal to the over 35 demographic that makes up the majority of Radio 2 listeners, although the event attracts fans of all ages. The line-up is compiled of the variousadult contemporary music and specialist genres featured on Radio 2, includingfolk,country,soul,rock andjazz. The festival was hosted byChris Evans and laterJo Whiley alongside other Radio 2 presenters and is broadcast live on the station and streamed on theBBC Red Button.[citation needed]
The inaugural festival in a day was held on 11 September 2011.[3]Lionel Richie was originally set to headline the event but was forced to cancel due to ill health.[4]
The 2012 festival in a day was held on 9 September.[5]
The 2013 festival in a day was held on 8 September.[6]
The 2014 festival in a day was held on 14 September.[7]
The 2015 festival in a day was held on 13 September.[8]The line-up was revealed byChris Evans between 8 and 12 June.[9]
The 2016 festival in a day was held on 11 September.[10] It also featured a DJ set byCraig Charles and a special edition ofPopMaster withKen Bruce.
The 2017 festival in a day was held on 10 September.[11] The line-up was announced on 6 June byChris Evans, with tickets for the event going on sale on 8 June.[1] Between the main acts, the festival also featured a special edition ofPopMaster withKen Bruce,Sounds of the 80s withSara Cox,A Question of Radio 2 withClare Balding,Jeremy Vine,Fearne Cotton,Jon Culshaw and Rev.Kate Bottley plus live DJ sets fromCraig Charles andAna Matronic.
The 2018 festival in a day was held on 9 September.[12]Carrie Underwood was scheduled to perform but had to pull out due to illness and was replaced byThe Shires.[13] The festival featured a special edition ofPopMaster withKen Bruce andSounds of the 80s withGary Davies plus a DJ set fromCraig Charles. During the headline set,Rick Astley andJason Donovan appeared as special guests.
The 2019 festival in a day was held on 15 September. Two acts were announced each day byZoe Ball starting on Monday 3 June 2019, with the headliners the Pet Shop Boys being revealed on Thursday 6 June.[14]Emeli Sandé was originally scheduled to perform but cancelled on the day due to having lost her voice. Her set was replaced by aCraig Charles DJ set.[15] There was also a DJ set fromGary Davies. During the headlining set,Olly Alexander andBeverley Knight appeared as special guests.
This year's Live in Hyde Park was a virtual affair due to coronavirus.[16]
On 12 and 13 September 2020, the BBC aired new sets recorded from home bySheryl Crow,Nile Rodgers andChic featuringRebecca Ferguson,Craig David,Erasure, SirTom Jones,The Killers,John Legend,McFly,Gregory Porter andThe Pretenders. Several past performances by SirElton John,Jeff Lynne,Kylie Minogue,Pet Shop Boys,Rita Ora, SirRod Stewart,Shania Twain,Smokey Robinson andTake That were also made available to watch onBBC iPlayer.[17]
Following two cancelled years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced on 5 April 2022 that the event was to be rebranded asRadio 2 Live 2022 and would take place inLeeds atTemple Newsam on 17 and 18 September.[18] The line-up was announced on 14 June byZoe Ball, revealing thatSimple Minds would be headlining the event. Ball also stated that two additional acts would be announced in the following weeks[19][20] On 2 August,Robbie Williams and theBBC Concert Orchestra were revealed as the second headliner alongsideElbow and the Radio 2 DJ line-up, which featuresRichie Anderson,Sara Cox,Rylan Clark,DJ Spoony,Jo Whiley,Dermot O'Leary,Gary Davies,Trevor Nelson,Tony Blackburn,Kate Bottley, andOJ Borg.[21][22]However, on 9 September, the event was cancelled following thedeath of Queen Elizabeth II the previous day.[23]
On June 12, 2023, it was announced thatLeicester would be hosting Radio 2 in the Park on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September atVictoria Park.[24] The following day,Zoe Ball announced the full line up, withKylie Minogue as headliner and also featuringRick Astley,Sam Ryder,James Blunt,Bananarama, andTears for Fears, the latter two of whom were previously slated to appear at the 2022 event, which was cancelled last year due to the death ofElizabeth II.[25] The festival featured DJ sets fromGary Davies,Rylan Clark, andScott Mills.
Saturday 16
Sunday 17
On June 3, 2024, it was announced thatMoor Park inPreston would be hosting Radio 2 in the Park 2024 on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, with tickets going on sale the following day. An additional "pre-party" is also set to take place on Friday 6 featuring sets by Radio 2 DJsVernon Kay,Sara Cox,Rylan Clark,Scott Mills, andDJ Spoony. The full line-up was announced byZoe Ball live on thebreakfast show.[26] During Shed Seven's set,Ferris & Sylvester appeared as special guests.
Saturday 7
Sunday 8
