Posted by 
Global superstar Pete Tong, and one of the biggest bands of the 90s, Embrace, are to headline this year’s Preston Weekender.
The Early May Bank Holiday bonanza – which will once again take place on the city’s historic Flag Market – will also feature incredible support artists, and the best talent from the region.
In pictures: The Preston Weekender 2024 takes over the Flag Market for raving and rocking out
Saturday night sees legendary DJ Pete Tong take to the decks with a big bag of Balearic classics for an unforgettable party. The exclusive two-hour set will be his only northern performance of the spring and summer. He’ll be supported by Best House DJ of 2024 Sam Divine.
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.
More about the artists
Pete Tong
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.
Pete Tong MBE, 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
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.
Embrace
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, The 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 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.
Elavana
Headline support comes from the impressive 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 Download and Glastonbury festivals.
2025 sees them embark on a string of tour dates across Europe, stopping off in Preston for one of the most energetic and visual band performances that you will ever experience.
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.
What the organisers are saying
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.”
Read more: Scratch Night in Preston looking for performers to take part
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 are working with local businesses to create special offers, deals and promotions from city centre businesses – and are encouraging people to make a weekend of it, celebrating the bank holiday in style.
The Preston Weekender will take place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May at the Flag Market.
Tickets go on sale from 8am today (Tuesday 11 February) for those on the pre-sale sign up list, with general sales opening from 8am on Wednesday 12 February.
Information and tickets are available from The Preston Weekender website.
Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.
Read more: See more of what’s on in Preston
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to [email protected] for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.
