Music fans were treated to a bumper bank holiday weekend as dance and rock legends took to The Preston Weekender stage on the Flag Market.

The city centre came alive with 3,000 revellers enjoying two days of music, atmosphere, and community spirit. The city also received a boost with visitors as footfall was up week on week and year-on-year following 2024’s event.

Saturday night saw the legendary DJ Pete Tong take to the stage and giving the crowd a world exclusive spin of some of his new mixes, delivering a masterclass in house anthems and proving
exactly why he’s still at the top of his game.

Watch: Pete Tong at The Preston Weekender

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Joining him was dancefloor queen Sam Divine, whose energy and setlist kept the Flag Market bouncing well into the night. They were supported by local DJs Mark Freejack and Macy Lancaster who got the party started for punters in the shadow of the Harris, as the sun set over Preston.

Sunday was spectacular, with anthemic guitar pop giants Embrace lighting up the city with a euphoric live set, and cult favourites Elvana shaking things up with a genre-bending show that had the entire square rocking.

Watch: Elvana singer starts mini mosh pit on the Flag Market

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Before Elvis had entered the building, Ferocious Dog played a blinding set to their following while local bands, The Hiphopalippz, Hauspoints, Building Giants, Tin Gods, and Joe Symes and The Loving Kind drew the crowds in.

As thousands enjoyed the acts, they were also generous in giving back, supporting the official charity of The Preston Weekender, Preston Samaritans, who had dozens of volunteers at the event.

Mark Whittle, from BID Preston, hailed the event as a huge success. He said: “The Weekender has once again exceeded expectations. From the talent on stage to the buzzing crowd and friendly vibe, it’s been a phenomenal celebration of what Preston does best – coming together in the heart of the city.

“Pete Tong and Sam Divine brought world-class energy on Saturday, and Sunday’s line-up was equally electric. The atmosphere was nothing short of magical.

“There’s always learnings from events like this, and improvements to be made, to make future events even better, but this one is definitely one for Preston’s history books.”

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Cllr Anna Hindle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts, for Preston City Council, said: “The Flag Market came to life over the Bank Holiday Weekend, with a spectacular array of local talent and global superstars alike. It was wonderful to see the city centre so energised; I’m certain that the thousands that attended had a fantastic time!”