BBC Radio 2 in the Park brought the stars to Preston, the early September event took place across three days as one big extravaganza celebrating music and all that’s good about the UK’s most listened to radio station. Hosted in Preston’s Moor Park as a late summer hurrah, it was a mixture of sunshine and showers in the fields.
Friday night was the Pre-Party, where a selection of the station’s presenting talent took part in DJ sets and kicked off the weekend’s festivities. Saturday and Sunday were the main event, where each day saw in a full line up of musical names performing on the main stage, while over on the second stage—which was appropriately called the DJ stage—Radio 2 presenters spun some of their favourite records to crowds of festival goers. The event provided more than just food stalls and official merchandise in its general areas as well, photo opportunities were everywhere. We do live in a social media-led world, after all. During the day there were chances to meet cast members of BBC One’s Gladiators, send in song requests for Sara Cox’s Half Wower, strike a pose with the TARDIS from BBC’s Doctor Who, as well as an opportunity to visit the Radio 2 Studio outpost that was built on-site just for this event which saw in live broadcasts throughout the duration of Radio 2’s stay in Preston.
We attended the Saturday, which was headlined by Sting and opened by Travis. Many of the acts playing this day brought along new music to promote, some with new albums releasing soon after the event. Snow Patrol, notably, were previewing songs from their now-released new studio album, The Forest is the Path, which arrived six years on since their last. The Northern Irish band has seen a fair bit of change in its line up since the last album campaign in 2018, but to see them performing live to crowds of thousands and watch as they blast through a multitude of hit songs, it’s impossible to deny that they don’t still spark the same flame as they always have. Snow Patrol’s music feels like a good, reliable friend at this point—always there when we need it to be. And they sure do ignite mass sing-along moments.
Pixie Lott was also there previewing new material from her forthcoming new record, Encino, an album that arrives a decade on from her last studio full-length. Playing songs old and new from across the years, made sure that listeners previously unfamiliar with Lott’s music were now well acquainted, this style of blended set worked extremely well, delivering easy breezy pop alongside a sound more soulful than ever, with lyrics that engage further than just into good hook territory, there’s an emotional heaviness to her new material that eclipses just about everything she has released previously. Current single, ‘Midnight Trash’ has a chorus that lifts the cobwebs and sends reams of positivity into the stratosphere, it’s a song about “breaking up with insomnia,” and it has the most anthemic effect. Pixie Lott’s set was indeed full of surprises, not only was a cover of ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ present (made famous by Shaboozey), but a special guest also joined her on-stage for an unforgettable duet of epic ballad, ‘Cry Me Out’: it was Radio 2’s very own Rylan Clark. And it was special, to say the least.
Hot on the heels of releasing their latest studio album, L.A. Times, in July of this year, Scottish rock band Travis joined in with the theme of the day in showcasing a taste of their new music, but it’s only until the big classics hit that we fall truly into revelry. Their songs nevertheless leave a warm glow every time. In that easy going but affecting songwriting we find simple truths, of what it means to be human and to be alive, Travis’ music seems so universal because of this. They are no strangers to the festival circuit and they’ve remained a solid favourite throughout the decades, the band continues to experiment in their music and challenges themselves with what they are capable of, delving into topical themes and new soothing soundscapes. And we see no signs of them slowing down going forward.
Shaznay Lewis sent us into flashback mode, with a set featuring hits from all corners of her musical career to date. Yet the main focus fell on showcasing songs from her recently released second solo LP, Pages, Lewis brought effortless cool to her mid-afternoon slot. Her signature husky, velvet vocals sounded as epic as the first moment we heard All Saints’ ‘Pure Shores’, which was delightfully included in this set. Nineties and Noughties nostalgia complete, Lewis has exciting times ahead since reviving her solo career after taking a long break away from releasing solo music to focus on other musical pursuits. The stars are aligning and Shaznay’s time is now.
Continuing on the nostalgia train, Craig David brought with him a crowd-winning collection of songs and showed us exactly why he’s one of the UK’s greatest musical treasures. Craig David’s RnB hits are something special, they hold space in many people’s lives as dear memories often do, his music has most likely soundtracked much of our younger lives and as such these classic songs make up a huge proportion of his live set. And it’s nice because that’s what we show up for. Even though, David’s recent collaborative material is incredibly irresistible, dance music has major appeal after all, nothing can quite beat the personal connection that we share with songs from our youth. It was one of the most well attended sets of the day, and rightly so. Craig David is an icon.
Legendary girl group, Sugababes brought their incredible live show in their original line-up for a trip down memory lane. Their music is sacred to many, and they delivered hit after hit in their time on the main stage. Not only was their light show giving dazzling but so was their stage presence, Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan have star power, their dance moves are so coordinated and on point that it is nothing less than jaw-dropping to watch. They also delivered a stunning rendition of UK Garage classic, ‘Flowers’ by Sweet Female Attitude, where the trio’s vocal harmonies shone so bright and beautifully that it made their set an instant highlight. They impress time and time again, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for them.
1980s Glam was given a voice by Kim Wilde in her half hour on the main stage, her scintillating pop tunes brought the barbed edges we were craving. Her biggest hit, ‘Kids in America’ made for a powerful close to a set full of magic moments including the live debut of new single, ‘Trail of Destruction’.
Finally, Sting closed out the main stage on Saturday with a set that only Sting could deliver. The career-spanning set gave us nothing but good times: Police classics and sensational solo smash hits. It’s remarkable to watch upon this man and his band fly through years of recorded music history and to see the joy it brings to people. There is something to treasure in moments like these. Sting even made time to deliver a performance of his new single, ‘I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart),’ and it’s another gem. The whole hour-plus headline set was a magnetic, magnificent ode to Sting’s music and the lasting impact it continues to have on the many generations of people it continues to inspire. What a legacy.
And with that, a fantastic day of music and celebration was over. Thank you, BBC Radio 2. Until next time.
Performances from BBC Radio 2 in the Park are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer and listen to on demand via BBC Sounds, but be quick they won’t be there for long. For more information about BBC Radio 2 in the Park 2024, visit the BBC website here.
Photo Credit: BBC / Sarah Jeynes / James Watkins
