BBC Radio 2 In The Park Festival

About BBC Radio 2 In The Park Festival

BBC Radio 2 In The Park Festival 2026 puts a pop music bill into City Park, Stirling, an open greenspace below Stirling Castle. The edition runs 11–13 September and marks the first Radio 2 In The Park staged in Scotland.

The scale is capped at up to 30,000 daily. The event traces back to a one-day Live in Hyde Park edition in 2011, with later stops including Leicester’s Victoria Park, Preston’s Moor Park and Hylands Park in Chelmsford.

Lineup and Programme

The 2026 bill leans into pop, rock, classic pop & rock and chart music. Announced acts include Chaka Khan and Simple Minds.

The format is three days. Friday is a DJ pre-party, followed by live music and DJ sets on Saturday and Sunday across the Main Stage and Radio 2 DJ Stage.

Who Is It For?

The audience skews towards adult Radio 2 listeners and mainstream pop/rock fans. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Everyone attending needs a valid ticket, except children aged 2 years and under. The ticketing policy points to a broadly adult event rather than a youth-festival crowd.

The Venue and Site

City Park sits in Stirling’s Royal Park, below Stirling Castle. Stirling Council says the landscape dates back to the 12th century.

There is no on-site camping; off-site accommodation or nearby pitch spots need advance booking. Listed site provision includes an accessible transport hub, accessible parking and a dedicated drop-off area.

Access facilities also include free shuttles from Stirling station and the coach/bus drop-off point, plus an accessible viewing platform and ground-floor viewing areas. VIP ticket facilities include a garden area, luxury restrooms, a covered bar and premium food from artisan catering units.

Travel

Stirling station is the rail anchor, about 1 mile from City Park and around 20 minutes on foot. Glasgow is about 35 minutes by train from Stirling; Edinburgh is about 50 minutes.

• Rail: Stirling station is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from City Park.
• Shuttle: Free shuttles run from Stirling Train Station and from the coach and bus drop-off point.
• Road: Named routes include the A811 Dumbarton Road West, A84 Millennium Way, B8051 Raploch Road, Back O'Hill Road, M9 Junction 10 at Craigforth and the A84 trunk road.
• Parking: Official park-and-walk parking is listed at Forthside Car Park, Engine Shed and Forth Valley College, priced at £15 per ticket plus a £2.50 booking fee.
• Accessible parking: Accessible parking is available through an approved accessible transport hub with 400 spaces.