Right. Where do we even start with Saturday.
We pulled up to Herrington Country Park not entirely sure what to expect — BBC Big Weekend has a reputation, obviously, but there’s always that slight worry that the reality won’t match the hype. Trust me, it matched the hype. It then went further than the hype. It lapped the hype.
The sun was actually out (yes, in the North East, on a bank holiday — we were as shocked as you are), the crowd was in the best mood imaginable, and the lineup? Genuinely stacked from first act to last.
Ellie Goulding — Setting the Bar Immediately
Kicking things off with Ellie Goulding is a bold move. It’s also a brilliant one. She just gets festival crowds in a way that very few artists do — every song felt purpose-built for exactly this kind of moment, thousands of people in a field on a sunny Saturday, singing their hearts out from the off. Opening slots can be a slow burn. This was not a slow burn. She made it look effortless. It’s not effortless. That’s the thing.
Skye Newman — One to Watch
Skye Newman followed on the main stage and absolutely held her own. She’s been on every tastemaker’s radar this year and you could see exactly why — there’s a confidence and a clarity to her that belies where she is in her career right now. If you’re not already across her, get across her.
James Blake — Everyone Went Quiet and That Said Everything
James Blake in a tent in the middle of a festival afternoon is a strange and wonderful thing. Outside, the sun’s blazing, people are queuing for ice cream, someone nearby is doing a TikTok. Inside, absolute silence. He walked out and within about thirty seconds the entire crowd had just… stopped. No chatting, no shuffling, just standing there with their mouths open. His voice in that enclosed space was something else entirely — it got under your skin in a way that’s hard to shake off even hours later. Unforgettable set.
Mitski — The Crowd Knew Every Single Word
Not much to add here except: wow. Mitski’s crowd was devoted. The kind of devoted where people are visibly emotional before the first song even starts. She delivered everything her fans came for and more.
Nothing But Thieves — Finally, Some Rock
Look, we love a pop set as much as the next person, but Nothing But Thieves cranking up the volume felt like exactly what the day needed at this point. They were tight, they were loud, there were a few swears… and anyone who wandered over from another stage quickly stopped wandering. Brilliant live band. Every time.
Rachel Chinouriri — Worth Every Minute of the Wait
By the time Rachel Chinouriri took to the New Music stage just before 5pm, the crowd were well and truly warmed up — and she rewarded every single person who’d been saving their energy for this. There’s something about that more intimate tent setting that suits her music perfectly, the crowd packed in close and hanging on every word. She’s an artist who deserves to be doing this at scale, and watching her own a room like that felt like a genuine privilege. If you weren’t there, you missed out. Simple as.
Lola Young — Okay, This Was the Moment of the Day
We need to talk about Lola Young.
Cast your mind back to 2025 — Lola stepped away from music after an onstage collapse in September. At the time it felt like a big deal, because it was. And then she came back at the Grammys earlier this year, and won Best Pop Solo Performance for Messy, and performed like someone who had been storing up every last bit of energy from that time away and was now releasing all of it at once.
Saturday at Big Weekend felt like exactly that. She came out and the energy shifted immediately. Not gradually — immediately. Like she’d never been away. Actually, scratch that, better than if she’d never been away. There was something in her performance that felt charged, intentional, like every single second on that stage mattered to her. Messy sent the crowd absolutely feral, and by the end of her set there were people near the front who looked like they needed a sit down.
If this is Lola Young returning, we cannot wait to see what comes next.
Louis Tomlinson — The Crowd Was Ready for Him Before He Even Walked Out
The noise when Louis Tomlinson appeared. Genuinely took us by surprise and we were standing right next to the stage. He’s been on tour through Europe and North America and you could tell — he was sharp, confident, and completely in his element. New album material landed brilliantly alongside the songs people have been shouting along to for years.
The North East crowd gave him absolutely everything. He gave it straight back. Brilliant.
Zara Larsson — The Perfect Headline Set
By the time Zara Larsson took the stage as Saturday’s headliner, Herrington Country Park was completely electric. She is just excellent at this. Every single bit of it — the staging, the setlist, the way she talks to a crowd. Lush Life still hits different when 30,000+ people are singing it back at you.
Saturday signed off on a high. A really high high.
We’re already nervous about having to top this on Sunday.
Read our Sunday recap — Olivia Dean, Niall Horan, Kehlani and more
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