The Preston Weekender

Global superstar Pete Tong, and one of the UK's biggest bands of the 90s, Embrace, are to headline this year's Preston Weekender.

The May Bank Holiday bonanza, which will again take place on the city's historic Flag Market, will also feature the best talent from the region.  Organisers have promised to keep ticket prices as low as possible so they can make the music events accessible to everyone.  

Saturday night sees legendary DJ Pete Tong take to the decks with a big bag of Balearic classics, for an unforgettable night, in an exclusive two-hour set.  He'll be supported by 'No.1 House DJ of 2024' Sam Divine.  Tong, with an incredible 30-plus year career, is a revered performer, DJ, broadcaster and producer, and remains dedicated to making dance music a global genre; constantly pushing boundaries and breaking new talent wherever he goes.  He is the UK's original superstar DJ, and a household name the world over.  With her years in the game, a multitude of awards, accolades and achievements, global tours and festivals, Sam Divine is a powerhouse. A renowned DJ, producer, and all-round inspiration to countless women worldwide, she has established herself as a formidable presence.  Sam stops off to perform in Preston, following 2025 gigs in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Singapore.

On Sunday, multi-million selling Embrace will headline the band-led part of the weekender, with support from the epic Elvis-fronted Nirvana band, Elvana, and Ferocious Dog, fresh from their recent headlining tour of the UK.   Brothers Danny and Richard McNamara formed Embrace on the 'other side of the Pennines' and are revered for tracks including All You Good Good People, Good Will Out, and Ashes.  Critically acclaimed across the board, the NME declared their first album 'one of the great debut albums of the decade'.  Since then, Embrace have gone on to score three number one albums and six top ten singles, selling millions of records albums in the process.  The Preston Weekender will be one of the full band's rare live performances in 2025. 

Headline support comes from the impressive Elvana who took the UK by storm in 2019, following a sell-out show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. Since then, they've performed on the main stage at the Download Festival, and Glastonbury.  2025 sees them embark on a string of tour dates across Europe, stopping off in Preston for one of the most energetic, credible and visual band performances that you will ever experience.  Completing Sunday's headliner line up is Ferocious Dog, a six-piece band who deal in a vibrant vein of Celtic folk infused punk rock, comfortably slotting in between Billy Bragg and The Levellers.  The band has headlined tours of the UK and Europe, performed in Kenya and Dubai, and at festivals such as Bearded Theory, Alchemy, Lowlands (Netherlands), and Glastonbury Festival.

​​​​​​​Organisers have confirmed some brilliant support acts for both Saturday and Sunday events, details of which are on the ticketing website.