Radio 2 In The Park 2026 Lands in Stirling — City Park to Host Thousands for Three-Day Weekend

City residents, music fans and event teams will be the first to feel the effects of radio 2 in the park 2026: a three-day festival that promises tens of thousands of attendees, presenters based in the city and a weekend of live shows and broadcast programming. The arrival of the event is described as a major boost for Stirling and the wider region, with organizers still finalising the full artist line-up and ticketing plans.

Radio 2 In The Park 2026: who in Stirling and beyond will feel it first

Here’s the part that matters: tens of thousands of music fans are expected to attend City Park over the festival weekend, with many of the station’s presenters decamping to Stirling for the event. Local leaders have framed the weekend as an opportunity for an "unforgettable celebration of world-class live music" set against the city’s landmarks, and have said it will provide a boost for the area and the wider region.

Event details and a point of uncertainty

The festival has been scheduled for City Park in Stirling from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August 2026, and was revealed on the host's Breakfast Show. Coverage in the provided context notes that artists and presenters will perform across stages at City Park, and that a Friday-night DJ party will kick the weekend off and return by popular demand. Two accounts in the provided context differ on the number of stages: one description specifies performances across two stages, while another specifies three stages; that detail is unclear in the provided context and may be confirmed later when the lineup is announced.

Broadcasting, audiences and programming

All of the action will be carried on the station and its streaming and on-demand platforms, allowing millions to listen or view at home or on the move. The station is noted in the provided context as having a weekly audience of 12. 7 million, while the Breakfast Show hosted by Scott Mills attracts a weekly audience of 6. 5 million. Many presenters are expected to be based in the city throughout the weekend, and programming will include live sets and presenter-led coverage across the festival days.

Local reaction and visible signs around the city

Stirling’s council leader said the city is ready to welcome fans and artists and described the event as the biggest the city has staged yet, promising an unforgettable weekend set to the backdrop of Stirling Castle. To mark the announcement, the National Wallace Monument and the Tolbooth live music venue were illuminated in orange. The presenter who announced the move said that previous DJ sets in Scotland received the warmest welcome and called the Scottish crowd "the best crowd, " adding that he cannot wait for the August weekend.

Short timeline and what comes next

• May 2018 — the city and region last hosted a comparable major live event when a large music weekend took place at Scone Castle, Perth.
• 2023 — the festival circuit included a three-day event in Leicester and a separate major radio music weekend at Camperdown Country Park in Dundee.
• 2024 — an edition of the festival was held in Preston; another outside broadcast finale took place in Glasgow tied to a national charity challenge.
• Last year — the most recent edition mentioned in the provided context was held in Chelmsford.
• 7–9 August 2026 — City Park, Stirling is set to host the forthcoming three-day festival; the full artist line-up and ticketing details will be announced at a later date.

The real question now is how quickly organisers will confirm the line-up and clarify production details such as the stage plan and ticketing windows; those announcements will determine how local services and fan travel need to prepare.

What's easy to miss is that this will be the first major live music weekend staged by the station in Scotland since the 2018 event at Scone Castle, which subtly raises expectations and logistical stakes for local organisers and partners.

Further details, including the full artist line-up and ticketing information, are expected to be released at a later date; until then, timing and some production details remain subject to confirmation.