The Preston Weekender is this weekend: everything you need to know

Where and when is the Preston Weekender?

Preston Weekender is set to be a May Bank Holiday bonanza, with two days of music on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4.

It will again take place on the city’s historic Flag Market.

Saturday’s event starts at 6:30pm with last entry being 9:00pm whilst Sunday’s event starts at 1:30pm with last entry being 6:00pm.

Who is performing?

Pete Tong

Saturday night sees legendary DJ Pete Tong MBE takes to the decks with a big bag of Balearic classics for an unforgettable party, with an exclusive two-hour set, in his only northern performance of the spring and summer.

Tong, with an impressive 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 says organisers.

Pete said: “Hello Preston, Pete Tong here, bring your dancing shoes to the Flag Market, as I plan to play you a real classics set!”

Sam Divine

Pete Tong will be supported by the DJ Award’s ‘No.1 House DJ of 2024’ Sam Divine, who stops off to perform in Preston following 2025 gigs in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Singapore..

With her years in the game, a multitude of awards and achievements, global tours and festivals, organsiers say Sam is a renowned DJ, producer, and all-round inspiration to countless women worldwide who has established herself as a formidable presence.

Embrace

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 best known for the tracks ‘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” and since then, Embrace have gone on to score three No. 1 albums and six Top 10 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.

Elvana

Headline support comes from Elvana who took the UK by storm back 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 say organisers.

Ferocious Dog

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.

Can I still get tickets?

Limited tickets are still available for both days.

Single day tickets are £30 each or a full weekend ticket is £45.

You can also buy group tickets for £90 (four people for the cost of three).

To purchase tickets and to find out more information visit The Preston Weekender’s website.

Are they any restrictions I should know about?

Entry is limited to those 18 and over on the Saturday and aged 14 and over on the Sunday, although those under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Neither food or alchohol can be brought in from outside of the Flag Market to be consumed inside the arena.

No glass – bottles or other containers – are allowed in the arena.

Any bags must be no larger than an A4 size.

Skateboards, segways, bikes, scooters and drones are not permitted.

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What have the Preston Weekender organisers said?

Mark Whittle, from Preston BID, said: “We’re excited to have secured an incredible lineup of talent for this year’s Weekender, building on the success of 2024.

“As a city, we’re committed to making the event better each year, so that we can welcome as many people as possible to enjoy what Preston’s got to offer, alongside offering a great platform for local artists.

“The Weekender is made possible through the support of city centre businesses, so we’d encourage everyone attending to ‘give a bit back’ and support local shops, restaurants, and venues during their visit.

“We’ve kept ticket prices as low as possible to make the event open to all, and we can’t wait to see the Flag Market packed for an unforgettable weekend in our amazing city.”

Councillor Anna Hindle, Cabinet Member for Arts and Culture at Preston City Council said: "The Preston Weekender is a fantastic addition to our city's vibrant calendar of events which we’re delighted to partner with.

“Events like this play a crucial role in showcasing Preston as a dynamic and welcoming destination while driving significant visitor footfall to our city centre. We can’t wait to see residents and visitors come together for this exciting weekend!"

The Weekender team also said that they are working with local businesses to create special offers from city centre businesses and they are encouraging people to make a weekend of it, celebrating the bank holiday in style.