Newcastle music festival idea scrapped to avoid clash with Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland
Plans for a major music festival in Newcastle this May were dropped to avoid clashing with Radio 1’s Big Weekend, councillors have been told.
City officials heard on Thursday how hopes of a large-scale event on the Town Moor this spring fell through as it would have clashed with the return of the huge BBC festival to Sunderland.
Around 80,000 music lovers are set to descend on Wearside from May 22 to 24 for the three-day extravaganza at Herrington Park, near Penshaw Monument.
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Custodians of Newcastle’s Town Moor reported this week that those dates had been earmarked for a major concert on the beloved Tyneside green space too, potentially a return of LooseFest, but that the idea had been mixed because of the conflict.
David Wilson, chair of the Freemen of Newcastle, said on Thursday: “It is disappointing that they are holding a big event on that day that conflicts with ours. As a result of that it is felt that it is not viable to host a big Newcastle event. It is not operationally or economically viable to hold an event in conflict with the BBC Big Weekend. So that [Newcastle] event will not take place in 2026. We look forward to see what we put in that slot in 2027.”
The freemen are responsible, alongside Newcastle City Council, for the management and upkeep of the Town Moor.
LooseFest was last held on the Town Moor in August 2024, featuring the likes of Ronan Keating and Peter Andre, having been called off at the last minute the previous year due to flooding.
It was announced recently that almost £1 million is expected to be put towards hosting the Big Weekend by North East mayor Kim McGuinness and Sunderland City Council, part of which will be used on improving transport links and accessibility infrastructure around the country park.
The money will also be used to organise a week-long fringe festival across the region, with a schedule of free and ticketed events to reach audiences around the North East and put a spotlight on local talent, as well as masterclasses to promote careers in music and the wider creative industries.
There are hopes that the Big Weekend will bring in millions of pounds to the local economy, with previous iterations estimated to have delivered direct boosts worth £5.1 million in Luton and £2.9 million in Dundee.