BBC Radio 1 Dance
BBC Radio 1 Dance is a British online-only radio stream, owned and operated by the BBC and run as a spin-off from BBC Radio 1. The station plays a mix of back-to-back current, future and classic electronic dance music,[1] and broadcasts exclusively on BBC Sounds.
United Kingdom and Internationally via BBC Sounds
9 October 2020
Flagship shows[edit]
Radio 1's Dance Party[edit]
Broadcast on a Friday evening from 6 pm, the Dance Party is a two-hour programme hosted by Danny Howard, who took over from long-serving DJ Annie Mac in 2021.[14] The programme showcase new and popular British electronic music and is simulcast on the main Radio 1 network as well as Radio 1 Dance. Show features include:
Events and specials[edit]
Radio 1's Big Weekend[edit]
Since 2019, Radio 1 Dance has had a presence at Radio 1's flagship music festival, Radio 1's Big Weekend, hosting the line-up for the Friday night in Middlesbrough.[23] Following the launch of the BBC Sounds stream, the brand has played a bigger part in Big Weekend events.
At the 2022 festival in Coventry, Radio 1 Dance hosted a stage across the full weekend[24] and curated the Friday night line-up.[25] The same format was repeated at the Dundee event in 2023, with a headline set from Jamie xx on the Friday night.[26]
Radio 1's Dance Weekend[edit]
Radio 1 has annually held a dance music weekend broadcast live from Ibiza since the 1990s, formally called Radio 1 in Ibiza. In 2020, the event was renamed Radio 1's Dance Weekend, hosted entirely virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] The event is usually the first weekend in August and has performances from world-famous DJs and Radio 1 Dance talent such as Pete Tong, Danny Howard and Sarah Story. Radio 1 Dance simulcast 2021's[28] and 2022's[29] events on the main Radio 1 network.
Danny Howard announced the line-up for the 2023 event in January 2023. It took place on Friday 28 July 2023 at new venue, 528 Ibiza.[30]
Europe's Biggest Dance Show[edit]
Europe's Biggest Dance Show is a series of radio specials produced by Radio 1. First broadcast in October 2019, Radio 1 joined with several European radio stations, all members of the European Broadcasting Union.[31]
The third installment, Europe's Biggest Dance Show 2020, was broadcast on Friday 23 October 2020 on Radio 1 Dance for the first time, as well as Radio 1 and the other stations across Europe, with Annie Mac hosting.[32]
Following the departure of Annie Mac, Danny Howard has since hosted Europe's Biggest Dance Show on Radio 1 Dance and Radio 1 in 2021,[33] and 2022 with Ukraine joining the line-up.[34]
Radio 1 Dance at The Warehouse Project[edit]
Radio 1 Dance has curated line-ups at The Warehouse Project in Manchester, following its reopening after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. These have included an event in November 2021 headlined by CamelPhat,[35] and in October 2022 that was headlined by Fisher.[36]
Printworks Closing Weekend[edit]
Radio 1 Dance hosted an event at Printworks in London for their closing weekend, before the venue shuttered in May 2023.[37] The event was headlined Black Coffee - his debut at the club - and Maya Jane Coles, with support from Radio 1 Dance DJs Danny Howard, Arielle Free and Sarah Story. The closing weekend shows quickly sold out, marking a significant moment in the venue's history.[38]
Radio 1 Dance x DRUMSHEDS[edit]
To celebrate 30 years of Radio 1's Essential Mix, Danny Howard announced in December 2023 on his Friday night Dance Party that Radio 1 Dance are collaborating with new London venue, DRUMSHEDS for an event on Good Friday 2024.[39] The BBC also made thirty Essential Mixes from the last 30 years available on BBC Sounds, as picked by a select panel and the Radio 1 Dance family.[40]