30 January 2026
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast broadcasted live from Keel Square Sunderland City Centre
People from across the city woke up to BBC Radio 1 after it broadcasted live from Sunderland City Centre.
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James took over Keel Square to give out tickets for Big Weekend that’s set to come to Sunderland in the coming year.
During the show, University of Sunderland students Granger Smith and Luke Carr chatted with Greg James live on air, getting the chance to shout out about Spark, the University’s student led community radio station.
Granger, who studies Media Production at the University, said: “It was amazing to be on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast with one of my idols in radio and it felt like a dream come true. Since starting Spark in 2022, I've always dreamed to be on BBC Radio 1 and now it's happened - it's a surreal feeling.”
The city is set to host The Big Weekend later this year (22-24 May) which will see some of the biggest names in music come to Sunderland.
It’s expected that 80,000 fans will attend, making it a landmark event of the year, boosting the local economy and shining a light on the city.