Preston Park Is The Place To Party!
Radio 2’s flagship annual live music event, Radio 2 in the Park, will take place this year in Moor Park, Preston. Alma Stewart talks to Head of Culture at Preston City Council, Timothy Joel, on securing such a popular event
It is an exciting time for Preston. With a number of investment projects including reimagining The Harris, the new Animate complex and a new city centre Youth Zone. Bringing such a huge music event is further helping put Preston on the visitor destination map. BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to radio station, with a weekly audience of 13.3 million, so for Radio 2 in the Park to head to Preston is quite a coup.
As Head of Culture, Tim Joel has been active in selling the city to a wider audience. He said: “Preston has been proactively seeking large-scale events for a while. Last year, we introduced our event location guide, promoting the city as an ideal event destination and highlighting the various outdoor event sites available.”
Early this year, the BBC invited Preston City Council to learn more about the BBC Radio 2 in the Park event and presented the opportunity for Preston to be the 2024 host city.
Tim continued: “Following several introductory meetings and site visits to the stunning Grade II* listed Moor Park – which the BBC event team was enamoured with – we successfully secured the event for our city. This collaboration between the BBC and the council not only underscores the mutual interest in showcasing Preston as an exciting location for high-profile events, but also highlights the attractiveness of Moor Park as a venue. Its spacious layout, beautiful surroundings and excellent facilities make it an ideal choice for an event of this scale. We’re immensely proud that the BBC recognised our city’s potential and wanted Preston to host BBC Radio 2 in the Park.”
Securing the concert involved close collaboration between the council team and the BBC. The BBC had many questions about Preston’s transport links, parking capacity in and around the city, hotel capacity, and making sure Moor Park could host the event’s production. Potential concerns of local residents were taken into account, ensuring that the event’s planning and management would minimise any disruption. Meetings were also set up between the BBC and the police to discuss event planning, public safety and requirements and between the BBC and the Leader of the Council, Chief Executive, and Deputy Chief Executive to agree to the event.
Some may remember that Preston hosted BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Moor Park in 2007. Last year Radio 2 in the Park was held in Victoria Park in Leicester featuring headliners Tears for Fears and Kylie Minogue, who performed her world exclusive full concert performance for the first time in four years.
“The licensed capacity for Moor Park was initially 19,999,” Tim continued, “however, to accommodate the scale of the event, we needed to increase this to 39,999. The council’s events team worked closely with the emergency services and statutory services to ensure all safety and logistical requirements were met. The licence application was open for public consultation for 28 days and fortunately, no public representations were received, leading to the successful grant of the licence.”
The decision to secure the concert was made by the council, but it was a result of the close collaboration with partners, working hand in hand with the police to ensure their support and involvement in the planning process. Moving forward, the council will continue to work with partners including the Business Improvement District (BID), Preston Partnership, Preston North End FC and others to ensure the successful delivery of this major event, demonstrating the unity and strength of the community.
Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader at Preston City Council, echoes residents’ excitement at the news: “We were over the moon to learn such a prestigious event is coming to Preston! This presents an incredible opportunity for the city, welcoming visitors from near and far and showcasing our great city to national television and radio audiences. The confirmation of the BBC Radio 2 in the Park means we’ll benefit from media coverage that money simply can’t buy. It’s a momentous occasion for us, and we’re eager to make the most of it. Hosting Radio 2 in the Park is just the beginning.”
Hosting the event should firmly place Preston on the map, demonstrating that the city can host major events of scale and showcasing Moor Park as an ideal venue.
Tim concluded: “The success of BBC Radio in the Park last year in Leicester generated increased interest and we’re optimistic that other event promoters will consider Preston for their future events. This is an exciting time for our city and we’re looking forward to the possibilities it brings. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to Preston and making Radio 2 in the Park an unforgettable experience for all!”
The station will be decamping to the city for two days, along with many of its presenters. The full artist line-up will be revealed in early June, and tickets will go on sale shortly after.
Details will be available here: bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark
