BBC Radio Unveils Packed August Bank Holiday Lineup Across Radio 1, Radio 2, and 6 Music
Your guide to radio highlights across BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6 Music this August Bank Holiday Monday - and how to listen in the UK, in Europe and in the US.
As the August Bank Holiday weekend approaches, BBC Radio is rolling out a heavy-hitting schedule of special programming, guest takeovers, and curated music mixes across its flagship networks: BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, and BBC 6 Music.
Whether you are hosting a backyard BBQ, driving across the country, or relaxing at home, here is what to expect across the dial on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31:
BBC 6 Music: The All Day Carnival
6 Music is turning over its entire August 31 schedule to All Day Carnival, celebrating sound system culture with dedicated party mixes, guest selectors, and uplifting grooves from sunrise to late night.
05:00 – 07:00 | Early Breakfast Amy Lamé steps in for Chris Hawkins to start the early morning bank holiday wake-up call.
07:00 – 09:30 | All Day Carnival with Nemone Nemone sits in on Nick Grimshaw’s morning slot, officially kicking off the All Day Carnival with a selection of sound-system-ready tracks.
09:30 – 10:00 | All Day Carnival Mix: James Mollison Ezra Collective’s James Mollison delivers an exclusive guest mix tailored specifically for the celebration.
10:00 – 12:30 | Lauren Laverne Lauren Laverne welcomes the new week with a curated playlist of uplifting tunes.
12:30 – 13:00 | All Day Carnival Mix A half-hour special mix inspired by global carnival soundscapes.
13:00 – 15:30 | Craig Charles Craig Charles takes over the afternoon with a heavy-hitting party mix.
15:30 – 16:00 | All Day Carnival Mix Another 30-minute deep dive into high-energy carnival rhythms.
16:00 – 18:30 | Steve Lamacq Slot (Zakia Sewell) Zakia Sewell steps in to keep the Bank Holiday carnival energy moving into the early evening.
18:30 – 19:00 | All Day Carnival Mix The final dedicated carnival mix installment of the day.
19:00 – 21:00 | New Music Fix Deb Grant and Nathan Shepherd hand-pick and share their latest musical obsessions.
21:00 – 23:00 | Riley & Coe Marc Riley and Gideon Coe close out the schedule with a showcase of their favorite records spanning eras and genres.
BBC Radio 1: Live Lounge Marathon & Reading Festival
Radio 1 is pairing an all-day archive celebration of its flagship live session brand with direct coverage from one of the UK’s biggest summer music events.
04:00 – 06:00 | Radio 1 Anthems Alice Hopkins starts the early hours with big throwback hits from artists like The Killers, Timbaland, and Katy Perry.
06:00 – 10:00 | Live Lounge Day with Dean McCullough Dean McCullough launches a day dedicated entirely to stand-out acoustic performances and covers from the Radio 1 archives.
10:00 – 14:00 | Live Lounge Day with Nat and Vicky Nat and Vicky take over for four hours of continuous Live Lounge sets.
14:00 – 18:00 | Live Lounge Day with James Cusack James Cusack guides listeners through the final block of daytime live recordings.
18:00 – 18:30 | Radio 1 at Reading and Leeds Festival (2026 Highlights) Alyx Holcombe introduces the top performance highlights straight from Reading Festival 2026.
18:30 – 00:00 | Radio 1 at Reading and Leeds Festival (Live Sets) Back-to-back live set broadcasts directly from the festival grounds running late into the night.
BBC Radio 2: Soul Hits, Streaming Giants, and Lewis Capaldi
Radio 2 offers a relaxed, music-led Bank Holiday selection featuring guest hosts, milestone countdowns, and specialized artist playlists.
06:30 – 09:30 | The Sara Cox Breakfast Show (OJ Borg sits in) OJ Borg takes over breakfast duties for Sara Cox to kick off the morning.
09:30 – 12:00 | Vernon Kay Slot (Gary Davies sits in) Gary Davies steps in for Vernon Kay with broad-appeal hits and mid-morning entertainment.
12:00 – 15:00 | Tony Blackburn’s Sounds of Soul (Bank Holiday Special) Tony Blackburn presents a three-hour special packed with essential soul classics.
15:00 – 18:00 | Mark Goodier’s Most Played: The Billion Streamers (Part 5) Mark Goodier presents the fifth installment of his special, highlighting tracks from the past six decades that have crossed one billion streams.
18:00 – 19:00 | Radio 2 in the Park: Lewis Capaldi Singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi presents On Air, Lewis Capaldi’s Ultimate Scottish Playlist, sharing the artists and tracks from Scotland that shaped his life.
19:00 – 19:30 | Jo Whiley Slot: Shiny Happy Playlist (Edith Bowman sits in) Edith Bowman sits in for Jo Whiley with 30 minutes of feel-good tracks.
19:30 – 21:00 | Jo Whiley Slot (Edith Bowman sits in) Edith Bowman continues with a handpicked selection of fresh new music from across the musical spectrum.
21:00 – 22:00 | The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews Cerys Matthews rounds out the evening with her essential weekly blues selection.
How to Listen (UK, US, & Europe)
Wherever you are spending the Bank Holiday, tuning into BBC Radio’s holiday broadcasts is straightforward:
In the UK:
Tune in via standard FM/DAB radio (Radio 1: 97.1–99.7 FM; Radio 2: 88–91 FM; 6 Music: Digital/DAB).
Listen live or catch up on-demand through the BBC Sounds app on iOS, Android, and Smart TVs.
In the US & Europe:
Web Streaming: International listeners can stream all three stations live directly through the official BBC web browsers at bbc.co.uk/sounds or via the direct station schedule hubs.
Smart Speakers: Simply ask your internet-connected smart speaker (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Sonos) to “Play BBC Radio 1,” “Play BBC Radio 2,” or “Play BBC 6 Music.”
Time Zone Reminder: Schedules are broadcast live in British Summer Time (BST). Listeners in the US (EDT) will be 5 hours behind UK air times, while listeners in Central Europe (CEST) will be 1 hour ahead.
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