Big Weekend Radio 1 Confirms Zara Larsson and Louis Tomlinson; Sunday Headliner Pending
Wednesday at 1: 00 p. m. ET. CONFIRMED FACT — Big Weekend Radio 1 will feature Zara Larsson and Louis Tomlinson on the Saturday main stage in Sunderland for the three-day festival running May 22–24, 2026.
EXPECTED/PLANNED — Sunday’s headliners remain unannounced; the lineup for the final day is set to be revealed Tuesday, March 10, which will determine who headlines the festival’s closing day.
Confirmed Saturday Headliners at Herrington Country Park: Zara Larsson and Louis Tomlinson
CONFIRMED FACT — Zara Larsson, Louis Tomlinson and Lola Young are scheduled to perform on the main stage on Saturday at Herrington Country Park. CONFIRMED FACT — additional Saturday performers named include Nothing But Thieves, Skye Newman and Ellie Goulding, with other Saturday additions listed as James Blake, Mitski and Rachel Chinouriri.
That said, CONFIRMED FACT — the festival will run across three days and will feature about 100 acts in total; Sunderland last hosted Big Weekend in May 2005. Still, UNCONFIRMED — the final running order for Saturday has not been published as of 1: 00 p. m. ET.
Big Weekend Radio 1 Ticket Sales, Prices and Attendance Limits
CONFIRMED FACT — Saturday and Sunday tickets will go on sale from 17: 00 GMT on Wednesday, which is Wednesday at 1: 00 p. m. ET. CONFIRMED FACT — general sale prices for Saturday and Sunday are £44. 50 (GBP) per day and VIP tickets are £106. 00 (GBP) per day.
Still, CONFIRMED FACT — festival rules limit purchases to a maximum of two tickets per person per day, and attendees may buy Friday plus one weekend day only (either Saturday or Sunday), not both weekend days. CONFIRMED FACT — the Friday event is over-18s only.
Yet, CONFIRMED FACT — one listing gives specific per-day allocations: 31, 000 General Admission and 2, 960 VIP tickets available for each of Saturday and Sunday. UNCONFIRMED — local priority access details for residents were described as in place to allow more people a chance to buy tickets, but specific allocation mechanics were not published as of 1: 00 p. m. ET.
March Announcements That Will Finalize Sunday’s Lineup in Sunderland
CONFIRMED FACT — Sunday’s headliners and full lineup are set to be announced Tuesday, March 10. That announcement is the specific observable event that will resolve which acts close the festival on May 24, 2026.
Still, UNCONFIRMED — whether the Sunday reveal will include additional ticketing adjustments, VIP allocations, or a revised running order has not been disclosed as of 1: 00 p. m. ET. EXPECTED/PLANNED — organizers have said the three-day event will accommodate tens of thousands of fans, but actual daily attendance will depend on the confirmed ticket allocations already published.
Closing: CONFIRMED FACT — the next public milestone is the ticket sale for Saturday and Sunday at Wednesday at 1: 00 p. m. ET (17: 00 GMT). CONDITIONAL — if the Tuesday, March 10 announcement confirms Sunday headliners, then buyers will know the full three-day lineup before Wednesday’s ticket release and can use that information when deciding on purchases ahead of the May 22–24, 2026 festival.
