Jo Whiley is launching a new Spotlight BBC Introducing Act feature in her evening BBC Radio 2 show.
To mark Radio 2 In The Park 2024 (September 6-8) heading to Moor Park in Preston next month, Whiley will broadcast her Radio 2 and BBC Sounds evening show live from the city’s The Ferret venue on Thursday, September 5.
Whiley will be presenting her show from 7-9pm in front of a small audience of Radio 2 listeners at The Ferret, and will showcase three local bands from BBC Introducing’s roster of artists to perform live. The programme will also be simulcast on BBC Radio Lancashire with BBC Introducing presenter William Wolstenholme, who will be co-hosting with Whiley.
During the show, one of the artists will be revealed as Jo Whiley’s first ever Spotlight BBC Introducing Act in what is a new segment launching that night. Across the year, she will be shining a light on BBC Introducing artists from around the UK, playing their tracks to introduce them to Radio 2 listeners.
The artists performing at The Ferret venue are:
Bryony Jarman-Pinto, a Lancashire-based singer songwriter who fuses jazz, soul and folk elements. Jarman-Pinto’s second album (released earlier this year) received support from Lauren Laverne and Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Electronic-pop trio Lowes from Lancaster. The group previously won a Radio 1 Dance Award.
Blackpool indie band Vala, who previously headlined shows at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and Yes Pink Room, and will begin their first UK tour this September.
With Radio 2 in the Park coming to Preston, we want to shine a spotlight on some of the best local musicians from BBC Introducing
Jeff Smith
A small audience have the chance to be at The Ferret for this live broadcast by registering for the ticket ballot here.
BBC Introducing supports unsigned talent across the UK. Over one million tracks have been uploaded to the BBC Introducing uploader and over 300,000 artists are registered.
Introducing has 23 shows on BBC Radio across the country, including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with a further six national shows on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra, Asian Network and 6 Music.
Jo Whiley said: “I’m super excited to get the party started in Moor Park, ahead of the whole weekend of incredible live performances at Radio 2 In The Park as the city has a vibrant music scene, with outstanding local talent. I can’t wait for our listeners to hear our showcase of the region’s best new musicians – and to launch our brand new BBC Introducing segment on my show, as there’s nothing more satisfying than watching a new artist’s journey to success.”
Jeff Smith, head of music for Radio 2, said: “Radio 2 is proud to play an incredibly wide range of music, including over 15,000 different songs each year, whether that’s in our daytime schedule or on our brilliant specialist shows, such as The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe or The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum. With Radio 2 in the Park coming to Preston, we want to shine a spotlight on some of the best local musicians (and hopefully superstars of the future) from BBC Introducing, and are really excited to showcase them in Jo Whiley’s show.”
Sting will headline the Saturday night (September 7) of Radio 2 In The Park, with the Pet Shop Boys topping the bill for the Sunday night.
Radio 2 presenters will be broadcasting live from an on-site studio with shows and sets available live and on-demand on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer across the weekend and for 30 days afterwards. The headline sets will also be broadcast on TV at a later date.
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