It started way back in the 1990s. BBC Radio 2 wanted to throw a little shindig. “Let’s get some acts together!” they said. And then it exploded. Exploded.
Now it’s a huge annual event in places like Hyde Park or a massive field in the middle of nowhere. It’s basically the musical equivalent of a Sunday roast – comforting, familiar, and everyone leaves feeling full and happy.
And it’s free. Well, you usually need a ticket, but it’s not a bank-breaking festival. It’s a thank-you to the listeners. A big, sweaty, pop-filled thank-you.
The line-up: A weird, wonderful mix
This is where it gets ridiculous. You’ll have Rod Stewart finishing a set, and then some random Eurovision star bounces on stage. It’s a musical Venn diagram that shouldn’t work, but it so does.
One minute, you’re swaying to Van Morrison. The next, Kylie Minogue is doing a medley of her hits while a man in a neon banana costume waves at you from the crowd. Yes, that happens. The crowd is a beautiful mess of ages, too. Grannies with blankets. Teens with face paint. Dads who’ve had one too many cans of lager.
BBC Radio 2 in the Park Leicester review with classics from Rick Astley
It’s a safe kind of chaos. The kind where you can cry to a power ballad at 4 PM and then dance to a dance anthem at 6 PM without anyone judging you.
