Jo Whiley to present her BBC Radio 2 show live from the Ferret in Preston & showcase three Lancashire bands

To celebrate Radio 2 in the Park 2024 coming to Moor Park in Preston next month, Jo Whiley, alongside a surprise co-host, will broadcast her Radio 2 and BBC Sounds evening show live from a legendary music venue in the city on Thursday September, 5. 

When and where will Jo Whiley be presenting her show from?

Jo will be presenting her show from 7-9pm in front of a small audience of Radio 2 listeners at The Ferret – an independent music venue in the heart of Lancashire’s music scene.

The programme will also be simulcast on BBC Radio Lancashire from 7-9pm with their BBC Introducing presenter, William Wolstenholme, who will be co-hosting with Jo.

What can we expect from the show?

As well as presenting her regular show, Jo will also showcase three local bands who have been hand-picked from BBC Introducing’s roster of artists to perform live. 

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

Who are the local acts performing?

-Bryony Jarman-Pinto, a Lancashire-based singer songwriter who fuses jazz, soul, and folk elements. Bryony’s second album (released earlier this year) received acclaim from Lauren Laverne and Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 6 Music, and Clash magazine. 

-Electronic-pop trio LOWES from Lancaster – and made up of Preston-born vocalist Evie Plumb, and multi-instrumentalists Luke Paget and Jamie Walker. The group previously won a Radio 1 Dance Vocalist Award.

-Blackpool indie-boyband VALA, who previously headlined shows at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and YES Pink Room, and will begin their first UK tour this September. 

Can I buy tickets for the event? 

A small audience have the chance to join Jo at The Ferret for this intimate, live broadcast by registering for the ticket ballot here. 

What has Jo Whiley said about it?

Jo 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.”

What had Radio 2 said?

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.” 

What can we expect from Radio 2 in the Park?

Jo’s live broadcast comes ahead of the iconic acts that will perform in Moor Park at Radio 2 in the Park from September 6-8.

Sting will headline the Saturday night with the Pet Shop Boys topping the bill for the Sunday night but you can see the full line-up here.

Following the launch of the DJ stage at Radio 2 in the Park 2023 in Leicester, presenters will also be spinning their favourite tunes to the audience at Moor Park and you can find the full DJ line-up here.

Get the latest headlines, straight to your inbox, with The LEP’s free emailsor the Blackpool Gazette’s free emails

In addition, new this year is a Pre-Party on Friday September 6 from 5-11pm, featuring Radio 2 presenters taking to the DJ stage to entertain 5000 revellers in the park and kick off the weekend in style!

As well as introducing artists on the main stage and playing sets in the DJ stage, Radio 2 presenters will be broadcasting live from an on-site studio – which will look out onto the thousands of revellers on the Saturday and Sunday – 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.

Tickets for Radio 2 in the Park are still available for the Friday night (6th September) and Sunday (8th September) here.

Saturday tickets have now sold out.