Opinion: BBC Radio 2 In The Park ‘was my first ever festival’ – here’s what I made of it

The main stage at BBC Radio 2 in the Park. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

For my first-ever festival experience, BBC Radio 2 in the Park did not disappoint.

Heading to Moor Park for the gates opening on Saturday morning, I was a little nervous for the day ahead. However, as soon as I reached the gates I was put at ease by the friendly security staff who quickly checked my bag and let me through.

Entering the site, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Visiting Moor Park for walks before, I noticed that the grounds had been completely transformed. Only the site of Deepdale stadium would make you remember you were in Preston.

It had just passed 11am and people had already begun to set up camp, excitedly awaiting the first performance from Travis.

But, the wait time didn’t seem long at all, with plenty to do and see before the entertainment started. There was something for everyone, old and young. From photo opportunities at the Dr Who Tardis to a wide array of food stalls and a huge big wheel, those attending were not short of fun.

Audience members were dressed in bright, festival clothing. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

The atmosphere was buzzing inside, with people already dancing, dressed in bright colours and glitter.

Scottish rock band, Travis, were the first to take to the main stage and they truly warmed up the audience. It’s safe to say, that everyone got involved when they asked those watching their set to pogo to their Preston-appropriate hit, ‘Why does it always rain on me?’

Frontman, Fran Healy, had nothing but praise for the city, saying “Preston you sound very lovely, you are good!”

After their set, I decided to head to the DJ tent to catch comedy man, Romesh Ranganathan’s hip-hop hits, however, getting from one side of the park to the other proved to be a difficulty.

I left straight after Travis’ last song and due to the number of chairs, picnic blankets and people, all moving in different directions, I only managed to catch a couple of songs at the DJ tent before Shaznay Lewis took the stage.

Though short but sweet, the vibes were completely different, with Romesh describing the north of England as the ‘party capital’ and getting people of all ages dancing.

Then it was time to head back to catch Shaznay, which again proved to be a bit difficult, weaving in and out of all the picnic blankets and chairs which seemed to be blocking some walkways.

Shaznay played a mix of her own singles and All Saints classics, saying this was her last show of the summer.

During the break, I decided to get a drink at the Aspall Cider truck, where I was served very quickly and I could see it was a nice place where people were chilling on chairs.

Pixie Lott was up next, bringing energetic dancing and pop hits. She played her two new singles and even surprised the audience with a duet with Radio 2’s very own, Rylan Clark. In another surprise, Pixie, with glitter all over her legs, performed a rendition of ‘Bar Song’ but changed it to ‘Park Song’ to suit the venue.

After Pixie Lott, the crowd were really pumped after being told to move forward a few steps before Craig David took to the stage.

Craig David. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

For me, Craig was one of Saturday’s stand-out performers. Everyone in the audience seemed to know every word and was hooked on his cool persona and stage presence. He even treated us to a sneak peak of his new single which sampled ‘he’s got the whole world in his hand,’ meaning everyone could sing along.

He finished his set saying, “Preston you’re amazing. I love Preston!”

Next up was the iconic, Kim Wilde, however as I did not know many of her songs I decided to take a step back and get some food. I went for the Dirty Fries stall which had a very long queue but went down very quickly. My bowl of cheese fries, with seasoned beef and jalapeños cost £12.50.

Snow Patrol then took to the main stage, proving to be a real crowd favourite, captivating the audience with smiley lead singer, Gary Lightbody, looking really pleased to be able to perform.

With my legs getting a little sore by this point, we found a space at the side of the stage to rest before The Sugababes brought the party to Preston.

The longest set by far, the trio treated the crowd to iconic hits, hooking most people on every single line. With eye-catching graphics and lively dance moves, the group continued Saturday’s party before headline act, Sting took the stage.

The iconic headliner, Sting. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

The excitement was building with people edging forward before graced the main stage with his rockstar persona. He performed a 75-minute set, with songs from every period of his career. People were literally screaming his lyrics, proving him to be the right choice for a headliner.

After watching for around 40 minutes, and enjoying every second, I decided to leave early and beat the crowds. Chairs and blankets were still set out towards the end of the park, with people dancing and singing all the way back to the city centre and we could still hear Sting’s performance in the distance.

Saturday’s line-up provided a good variety of artists for people of all ages, who definitely enjoyed the dry and sunny day. Sunday’s weather then took a turn for the worse…

I must admit, I had only heard of a couple of artists on Sunday’s lineup so again, I decided to go in time for gates opening at 11am.

Moor Park was already muddy as people came dressed in waterproofs. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

Being churned up with the amount of people walking across the field the day before, the grass was already muddy, and becoming even muddier with the rain which had just started.

I was kitted out in my boots, waterproofs and poncho, determined to not let the bad weather the better of me, along with many others.

Despite the soggy Sunday morning, spirits were still high, maybe even higher than yesterday.

Dressed in colourful wellies and with some people even wearing shower caps to protect their hair, the dancing had already begun and people were already sat on their chairs.

With umbrellas in the air, the crowds seemed to arrive early and the music even louder than the same time the day before.

Haircut 100. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

With no place to shelter from the downpour, I had the mindset of, ‘I can’t avoid it, so let’s just embrace it’ and decided to enjoy my day nonetheless.

Haircut 100 kicked things off. Safe to say, I was impressed. Frontman, Nick Heyward, showed his musical expertise, performing two songs without even being able to hear a thing due to technical difficulties. If he had not been pointing at his ears, I would not have noticed. After a quick joke and live soundcheck, they were back on track to pump the crowd up.

The beautiful Delta Goodrem then took to the stage, dressed in a white jumpsuit. The band, from Australia, performed old and new hits with Delta’s strong voice providing a soundtrack. She even treated Radio 2 presenter, Scott Mills, to an exclusive performance of the theme tune to the popular drama series, Neighbours.

By this point, I, along with many others was soaked. The rain had not stopped and just seemed to be getting heavier as Moor Park got even muddier. However, people were still in good spirits, laughing joking and enjoying the music.

I decided to try out the burger van this time and treated myself to a delicious spicy bean burger and cappuccino to warm myself up before Paul Heaton came on.

Paul Heaton. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

Due to the bottlenecks the day before, and the rain making the paths slippy with mud, I didn’t attempt to catch acts at the DJ stage. Instead, I stayed around the main stage area.

Paul Heaton and Shed Seven who were next on the lineup stood out for me. I had not heard of their music before but I will definitely be checking it out now. Paul and Rianne, had the crowd hooked on every line, with their simple yet captivating performance while Shed Seven brought the energy and dance moves.

Drinking more coffee to keep myself warm, I wandered around the site to see people who were also soaked to the bone, despite everyone being kitted out in waterproofs. While walking around I also spotted some famous faces, from Helen Skelton to Sam Allardyce, I was amazed to see the likes of these people in Preston.

Although not my style of music, Gabrielle and Sister Sledge, featuring Kathy Sledge, brought the party to Preston and livened spirits once again. They both belted out a series of classic tunes.

Myself and others around me had started to get cold by this point, with water even leaking into our shoes. Even an umbrella couldn’t save us.

Manic Street Preachers, the iconic Welsh rock band, then saw the crowd start to get even busier, awaiting headline act, Pet Shop Boys.

Pet Shop Boys. Pic: Michael Porter Photography

When the iconic duo took to the stage, the cold and wet seemed all worthwhile although I did not blame anyone leaving early to watch the rest of the show at home in the warmth.

The Pet Shop Boys graced the stage with eccentric outfits and futuristic graphics, hooking the excited audience on every line. It rained all night but in the duo’s words, ‘it was still a fantastic end to the 2024 Dreamworld tour’.

The whole weekend was one I will never forget in a hurry. It was a great experience to see so many famous bands and artists in the city.

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