Radio 1 to stage its biggest ever live music event

At the start of 2011 – Earshot Creative announced that Radio 1 were to hold a major music event for  young people across London to tie in with the 2011 Olympics. Today, the BBC have announced details of  BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend 2012  – which will be the biggest event put on by the station featuring over 80 artists, over six stages for 100,000 young people.

The event  is being penned as one of the BBC’s biggest ever free-ticketed live music event, and will take place on Hackney Marshes on 23 and 24 June 2012 for the opening weekend of the London 2012 Festival.The event was launched today on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra with performances in Hackney Empire theatre and the Olympic park site.

Working in partnership with Hackney Council, BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend 2012 will feature six BBC stages and 100,000 people will be able to attend – for free – across the weekend with the majority of the tickets being allocated to people living in Hackney and the surrounding boroughs.

The six stages will be  the Radio 1 Main Stage, the 1Xtra Arena, the In New Music We Trust Stage, the BBC Introducing Stage and two more TBC.

Radio 1 has secured four ambassadors to champion the event and be involved in the programme of outreach activity across the Boroughs of East and North London in the build up to the event. The ambassadors are: Leona Lewis, who grew up in Hackney; Radio 1/1Xtra DJ Trevor Nelson MBE;  and World and European Triple Jump Champion Phillips Idowu who were both born in Hackney;  together with East London’s award-winning artist and actor Plan B.

Andy Parfitt, Controller of BBC Radio 1 says: “This is the most ambitious event in the station’s 44 year history. We aim to enhance the overall London 2012 summer with a celebratory event aimed specifically at the thousands of young people who live in the boroughs directly surrounding the Olympic Park – we have the support of the music industry and, in particular, Hackney leaders, so it promises to be a very special weekend.”

Leona Lewis at Hackney Empire, 2009

Leona said: “To be a part of this event is so important to me. I’m so excited about the opportunities and the excitement that it will bring to the area. Radio 1 are going to put on the biggest show in their history and it’s happening in East London – I couldn’t be happier!’

After the success of the Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Carlisle, in which 793,000 people applied for tickets – you can be assured that the 2011 Big Weekend event is going to be an Olympic spectacle.  BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend 2012 is in partnership with Hackney Council, and will be the highlight of the London 2012 Festival, the UK wide cultural celebration from 21 June – 9 September 2012 which is the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

Disclaimer – All posts and views are my own, and are not endorsed or representative of any current or previous employer.

Source: BBC / Leona Lewis Music