Everything you need to know for Radio 1's Big Weekend

BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland is now just days away.

The annual festival will see global stars including Olivia Dean, Zara Larsson and Kehlani dazzle north-east England with 100,000 people expected to make the trip to Herrington Country Park over the three-day event.

So if you're an avid Deano, Goulddigger or Louie - here is a handy guide about everything you need to know about the event.

And if you are someone in the region who may have other plans this weekend (is that even possible?) and want to know how you may be affected – this should hopefully help you too.

The festival is the radio station's flagship event and is held in a new location every year – often in towns and cities which do not get many big live music events.

Previous years saw stars such as Taylor Swift go to Norwich and Stormzy perform in Exeter.

It has been more than 20 years since the festival took place in Sunderland when the likes of the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani performed in 2005.

This year the festival takes place between 22 and 24 May and there is a focus on championing talent from Sunderland and other parts of the North East.

Gates will open at 14:00 BST on Friday and 11:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Each day will end approximately at 22:00.

Last entry to the festival is 21:00 and there is no readmission once inside the festival.

Fatboy Slim, Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean headline each of the days respectively.

Dean will be the biggest attraction for many attendees as as she arrives off the back of winning four awards at the Brits, as well as the Grammy for best new artist.

The festival will be the 27-year-old Londoner's first UK headline set. Her show is slated to start at 20:45 on Sunday.

Saturday also sees performances by Ellie Goulding, Lola Young, James Blake and Mitski.

Meanwhile Sunday attendees will be able to watch shows by the likes of CMAT, Niall Horan, Myles Smith and Ezra Collective.

More than 100 artists are expected to perform over the festival including several up and coming North East talent such as DJ Emma Harbs and Heidi Curtis.

You can check out some of the other newer acts performing at the festival here.

All set times can be found on the Radio 1 Big Weekend app which can be downloaded here.

If you're taking the Tyne and Wear Metro, it is recommended you go to Heworth or Park Lane stations.

The council says both sites will have regular shuttle buses to the event site and back, as will Belmont Park and Ride in Durham.

The shuttle buses, which must be pre-booked, cost £14 for a return journey.

Queuing systems will be in place for the buses and it is recommended people buy Metro tickets in advance or top up their pay-as-you-go Pop cards ahead of time as ticket machines at stations are likely to be busy.

Metro services are also expected to be especially busy on Sunday when Sunderland AFC play Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.

The council also says regional coaches have been put on for those across the North East but warns people need to pre-book spaces on the Big Weekend travel website. Spots on these coaches cost £35 for a return journey.

Meanwhile local buses are expected to be very busy and affected by delays and road diversions.

For locals who want to walk to the festival, the council has produced a map with walking routes to Herrington Country Park.

At Herrington Country Park itself? In a word – no.

The only parking at the site will be for bikes and those who have pre-booked disabled access spaces.

Blue badges will not be valid on the day and instead those who need accessible parking bays have been advised to apply for an event-specific parking permit ahead of time. This can also be done through the Big Weekend travel website.

There will also be no parking permitted on nearby residential streets. Only residents with specific permits will be able to park on those roads this weekend.

Drivers have been told to pre-book spaces in official event car parks away from the site through the Big Weekend website. These official event car parks will be within a 45-minute walking distance or connected to the site via a shuttle bus.

Yes but again only if you pre-register a specific time slot to do so through the website.

The council also warns that taxis, including those booked via apps such as Uber or Bolt, to or from the park will not be available at the park.

Temporary road closures are in place around the event site from 08:00 on 22 May to 01:00 each day.

All roads will be fully reopened by 01:00 on 25 May.

• Other than for local buses the A183 (Chester Road) will be closed to all traffic from the A19 junction to the roundabout with Chislehurst Road. Bus stops between the two roundabouts on this stretch of road will be shut
• The northbound slip road at the A19/A183 junction and Foxcover Road will also be closed to all traffic except emergency service vehicles
• No stopping or parking will also be in operation along the A183 and B1286
• There will be restrictions, including all lay-by closures on the A19 - both northbound and southbound - between the A690 and A1231

If you're quick - tickets and official resale tickets for the festival can be found here.

It is the start of the British summer and so be prepared for any weather.

But forecasts so far suggest a balmy weekend with highs of 26C expected on Sunday and no rain predicted over the weekend. Bring sunscreen!

Attendees will only be allowed to bring one small bag. Bringing in alcohol is not permitted but there will bars, food outlets and water points throughout the venue. A list of other prohibited items can be found here.

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.