Radio 2 in the Park changes dates in unprecedented move
The three-day Radio 2 in the Park festival in Stirling has been rescheduled, shifting from its original August slot to September.
Following the announcement earlier this year that the event would be held in Scotland, organisers have been in discussions with local festival partners and stakeholders, including the Scottish Independent Festival Association (SIFA), whose input has helped inform the decision.
The change comes in response to concerns about the impact of hosting the festival in August, a period already busy with other local music events. Moving the dates is intended to better support the wider festival landscape.
The BBC has reaffirmed its commitment to backing the independent festival sector and contributing to a strong summer of live music across Scotland.
Helen Thomas, Head of BBC Radio 2, said: “Our aim has always been to bring a brilliant event to Stirling, providing value for Scottish audiences and making a positive impact on the local community, just as we have done in Leicester, Preston and Chelmsford in previous years. We’ve worked closely with the Scottish Independent Festival Association to find a solution that supports a brilliant summer of music across Scotland.
“Whilst tickets are yet to go on sale, we appreciate this may affect the plans of some people who were ready to join us in August, and we are sorry if this is the case. It is why we wanted to confirm the change as soon as we could.
“We’re excited to be bringing the very best of Radio 2 to Stirling and we’ll have announcements on the amazing artists who’ll be joining us very soon.”
A spokesperson for Stirling Council said: “We are delighted that BBC Radio 2 in the Park is coming to Scotland for the first time to City Park Stirling, which has a proven track record of successfully hosting large-scale events. We can’t wait to welcome fans and artists to our amazing city for an unforgettable celebration of world-class live music.”
A representative for Scottish Independent Festival Association added: “Scotland is a wonderful place to host events of every scale, and the Scottish independent festival sector is a much-loved part of the cultural and economic life of communities right across the country.
“We’re grateful to the BBC for the thoughtful way they’ve engaged to consider the right timing and structure for this event, and we look forward to working with the BBC, EventScotland, VisitScotland, Stirling Council and other partners to make the weekend a great success and to keep Scotland’s whole festival landscape thriving.”
Revised dates for the festival will be confirmed soon, alongside details of the line-up and ticket sales.
The event will be broadcast throughout the weekend across BBC television, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and on Radio 2.
BBC Radio 2 remains the UK’s most listened-to radio station, reaching a weekly audience of 12.7 million (RAJAR Q4 2025). Its weekday Breakfast show draws 6.5 million listeners each week, while Vernon Kay’s programme leads UK radio with 6.7 million weekly listeners.
Overall, nearly one in four adults who listen to the radio tune in to Radio 2, with audiences listening for more than 11 hours per week on average — the highest level in four years.
Aimed at listeners aged 35 and over, the station offers a broad mix of music, spanning genres such as pop, rock, country, folk, jazz, blues, soul and hip hop, and plays more than 15,000 different songs during daytime programming each year.
Its presenting line-up includes Richie Anderson, Zoe Ball, Michael Ball, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Revd. Kate Bottley, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini, Mark Goodier, Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Vernon Kay, Shaun Keaveny, Cerys Matthews, Paddy McGuinness, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O’Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, Romesh Ranganathan, Rylan, DJ Spoony, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Jo Whiley, Emma Willis and Owain Wyn Evans.
If you would like to receive the lineup in your inbox when it’s announced, subscribe for free, below.