Radio 2 announce full lineup for Piano Room Month 2024

Radio 2 is set to kick off 2024 with an impressive lineup of live music and documentaries featuring some of the world’s most beloved performers. Highlights include a month-long Piano Room season on Vernon Kay’s show, additional Sofa Sessions on Jo Whiley’s evening show, a Week of Wellness with Jeremy Vine, a celebration of country music at C2C, a new reggae series with Maxi Priest, Clash of the Pirates with Johnnie Walker and Tony Blackburn, an ABBA celebration, and the return of Top Brass with James Morrison, along with gospel sounds from Beverley Knight.

Vernon Kay’s mid-morning show, the UK’s most listened-to radio program (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am-12 pm), will feature a month of Piano Room performances from January 29 to February 23. The lineup includes 20 pop artists performing live with the BBC Concert Orchestra from London’s BBC Maida Vale studios. Each artist will showcase a new song, a classic, and a cover version, available on BBC Sounds and watchable on BBC iPlayer later the same day. Vernon’s daily Ten To The Top quiz remains a highlight at 10:30 am.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, expresses excitement about Vernon’s continued success and the upcoming Piano Room month, following his impressive fundraising for BBC Children in Need. Vernon Kay adds that hosting diverse songs from various artists is a joy, and he looks forward to welcoming them for a month in the Piano Room at Maida Vale studios.

The Piano Room month schedule includes performances by Bruce Hornsby, Beverley Knight, The Libertines, PP Arnold, Gabrielle, Anastacia, Olivia Dean, Johnny Marr, Shaznay, Rick Astley, Texas, Jalen Ngonda, Lisa Stansfield (Valentine’s Day Special), Crowded House, Jess Glynne, Paloma Faith, Delta Goodrem with Gary Barlow, Elbow, Rod Stewart with Jools Holland, and an artist to be announced later on February 23.

Jeff Smith, Radio 2’s Head of Music, says, “Radio 2 plays over 15,000 different tracks a year – giving listeners a huge range of songs to enjoy – and delivers an incredible range of live music, from intimate studio sessions to the vast crowds at our triumphant Radio 2 in the Park event in Leicester last year. The Radio 2 Piano Room month will feature a stellar selection of 20 artists from new talents such as Olivia Dean and Jalen Ngonda to established legends, such as Rod Stewart, who our listeners have loved for decades. We’re thrilled to offer artists the opportunity to be listened to and watched on the BBC by millions of fans, giving them a springboard to further success.”

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says, “In the coming few months Radio 2 has the perfect soundtrack to beat the cold Winter blues, from brass to country, gospel to musicals, folk to show tunes. Radio 2 plays timeless, melodic music from today and the past seven decades and I’m proud that this Spring sees the station offer such a broad range of content to our audience. We introduce listeners to the pop superstars of tomorrow whilst continuing to enjoy classic and new songs from some of the world’s most popular artists, so it’s only right that Radio 2 goes back to where pop radio started in the UK and I can’t wait to hear the special programme celebrating the anniversary of pirate radio with two of the station’s broadcasting legends – Johnnie Walker and Tony Blackburn.”

The Libertines say, “We are really looking forward to the prospect of performing for the Radio 2 listeners in the Piano Room session. Not only do we get to perform the music that we love – but we get to do it with musicians that will broaden our overall musical spectrum. It’s going to be a great day!”