BBC Radio 2 in the Park has become a mainstay in British festival culture, capping off the summer with one final weekend of music, hosted by the best-known names in UK radio. And this year plans to be no different, as the line-up for the annual event has now been revealed. BBC has confirmed the two-day festival, which is due to take place on Saturday, September 12, to Sunday, September 13, 2026, will be headlined by Chaka Khan and Simple Minds. On top of that, there are some other major names on the line-up including The Script, James Blunt, Blue, ABC, Lulu and many more. We’ve got the full line-up listed below.
While last year BBC Radio 2 in the Park was hosted at Chelmsford’s Hylands Park, this year it will take place at City Park in Stirling, Scotland. And the fun has expanded, as well. Although the festival proper begins on Saturday, June 12, a Friday night DJ Pre-Party will kick off the live music the day before. This will include sets from such Radio 2 presenters as Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage and Rylan.
Announcing the line-up, The Script’s frontman Danny O’Donoghue joined Gary Davies live in the studio to revel in the news that he’ll be performing to Scottish audiences. “The Celts!” he gushed. “Honestly, it always feels like you’re playing a hometown gig… We’ve played many shows over the years, it feels like you’re bringing the show home.”
It’s doubly special for the Irish star as he revealed he’s “never” played in Stirling. He said: “I’ve passed by it. It’s a beautiful looking castle on the hill. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Can’t wait to go there.”
He also touched upon what The Script are planning on playing live: “Can you imagine Superheroes live in Scotland at Stirling Castle? We’re going to try and sneak in one or two songs from the new album. We’ve always had a great mix … We’ll be 100 percent playing Superheroes, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, Breakeven, all the hits. Everything you want us to play, we definitely will play.”
The headliners of the festival also spoke out about playing the annual event.
Chaka Khan confirmed: “Stirling is such a magical place. I just love the charm and spirit of the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. Can’t wait to share the songs, the love, and make some beautiful memories together.”
Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr said: “Well we are delighted, we’re really delighted. The fact that it’s gonna be in Stirling which is not so far from our neck of the woods, and the fact that you know, Simple Minds in Scotland inevitably is always a bit special, so all of that combined with the fact that it’ll be Simple Minds’ first and only gig in the UK this year and you know it’s gonna kick off a whole loud momentum for us so we’re already really looking forward to it.”
They added: “Our set will be very upbeat, we’ll want to involve the crowd, and obviously, crowds in the UK, crowds in Scotland are never shy when you ask them and Simple Minds live, well I’m pretty confident in saying we’ll have the place jumping up and down.”
Tickets for the weekend-long festival are available as of right now. We’ve got all the details below.