BBC Radio 2 in the Park is set to return to Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex, delivering a thrilling three-day music festival from Friday, September 5, to Sunday, September 7, 2025. This year’s event promises an electrifying atmosphere with a stellar lineup including rock legends Bryan Adams and Def Leppard, both headlining for the very first time in Chelmsford.
The event kicks off on Friday evening with a lively DJ Pre-Party, featuring sets from popular Radio 2 presenters like DJ Spoony, Michelle Visage, Rylan, Scott Mills, and Vernon Kay. Tickets for this night are priced at £32 plus booking fees, offering fans a chance to warm up for the weekend with some of the best dance sounds and nostalgic hits.
Saturday’s highlight is Bryan Adams, who expressed genuine excitement about performing in Chelmsford for the first time. “There’s something exciting about playing in a new place, especially somewhere that’s filled with a Radio 2 crowd ready to rock,” Adams said. Sharing the stage that day will be a host of acclaimed artists including Belinda Carlisle, Ella Henderson, Jessie J, Kid Creole and The Coconuts, Marti Pellow, Ronan Keating, and Stereophonics, who are eager to kick off the weekend with their distinctive sounds.
Sunday’s headliner, Def Leppard, also marks a milestone by making their Chelmsford debut. The band expressed their enthusiasm: “Def Leppard have never had the privilege of performing in Chelmsford before, but this will all change on September 7! We are very much looking forward to headlining on the Sunday.” Other performers on the final day include Anastacia, David Gray, Louise, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Soul II Soul, and Suede, the latter recalling fond memories of headlining Hylands Park back in 1999.
Tickets for the festival go on general sale on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8:30 AM, exclusively through Ticketmaster. Fans are urged to register for a Ticketmaster account ahead of time, ensuring their details, including payment information and phone number, are up to date. This preparation is crucial because a Ticketmaster account is required to join the virtual queue and purchase tickets once sales open.
Ticket options cater to a wide range of preferences and needs. For Saturday and Sunday, attendees can choose from General Admission tickets (with or without chairs), Essex Residents General Admission (also with or without chairs), Enhanced Area tickets, and Accessible tickets. Friday’s DJ Pre-Party offers General Admission, Essex Residents General Admission, and Accessible tickets, though no enhanced tickets are available that night.
One notable feature of this year’s sale is the reservation of just under one third of general admission tickets—specifically 30%—for Essex residents. This allocation aims to give locals a preferential opportunity to attend the flagship event in their home county. To access these reserved tickets, buyers must enter their home postcode during the purchase process, ensuring genuine eligibility. Ticketmaster’s system requires the postcode to be entered without gaps and in uppercase, with clear error messages if the code is invalid.
Fans should also be aware of ticket purchase limits: each person may buy a maximum of six tickets per day. Additionally, for General Admission tickets, those aged 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over at all times. Children aged two and under do not require a ticket but must remain in the care of an adult throughout the event.
With thousands of tickets available—7,000 for the Friday DJ party and just over 35,000 for each of the weekend days—the demand is expected to be high. To avoid disappointment, punctuality at the 8:30 AM sale start is essential, as is following the step-by-step purchasing process outlined by Ticketmaster.
Once purchased, tickets will be delivered digitally via the Ticketmaster App within two weeks of the event and no later than three days before the festival begins. No physical tickets will be issued or emailed, so attendees must have the app installed on their phone to gain entry.
For those unable to attend in person, the entire weekend will be broadcast and available to catch up on via Radio 2, BBC Sounds, and BBC iPlayer, ensuring that the excitement of the festival reaches music lovers across the UK.
BBC Radio 2 in the Park has a proud history of bringing world-class music to different UK cities. In 2024, the festival was held in Moor Park, Preston, featuring Sting and the Pet Shop Boys, while in 2023, Victoria Park in Leicester hosted Tears for Fears and Kylie Minogue. This year’s Chelmsford event is poised to continue that tradition, delivering unforgettable live music experiences to both local fans and visitors alike.
With an array of celebrated artists spanning genres and generations, plus the unique opportunity for Essex residents to secure tickets, Radio 2 in the Park 2025 is shaping up to be a standout event in the UK’s live music calendar. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the festival, this September promises a weekend of incredible performances, community spirit, and pure musical joy in the heart of Essex.
