By Manish Pandey,BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton
Raye had a packed Big Weekend crowd captivated, as she headlined on Saturday at Radio 1’s festival.
The Escapism singer followed Aitch, Mabel, Rag’n’Bone Man and Griff, who also performed through the day on the Main Stage.
There were also performances from Charli XCX, Cat Burns and The Last Dinner Party on the New Music Stage.
Raye admitted she was “excited, nervous, with a lot of people” watching at Stockwood Park and at home.
“It’s a really big deal,” she said before her set, recalling her first Big Weekend.
“I was just a guest vocalist with Jax Jones years ago, and then again a guest vocalist with Joel Corry and then finally my first set last year to now. Oh, wow.”
“When you’ve waited so long, for opportunities like this, I will be kicking myself if I didn’t give it everything.”
Before Raye, the crowd was thrilled by the likes of Aitch and Mabel.
Aitch told Newsbeat he was “very excited” to “do what I do best”.
But he came from Wembley Stadium, after watching the first 55 minutes of the FA Cup final between his beloved Manchester United and Manchester City – which United won.
“I’ve not done a show for a while, I’ve been stuck in the studio for a while.”
He added there was “so much music coming out”, including some this month.
“I’m ready to go crazy,” he says.
Charli XCX was supposed to be at Big Weekend in Coventry in 2022, but pulled out with illness.
She admitted being “very scared” before going on the New Music Stage.
“Because I haven’t done a real proper show for a long time,” she told Newsbeat.
Sunday will see Coldplay as the headline act, with Sabrina Carpenter, Olly Alexander and Vampire Weekend also hitting the Main Stage on the final day of the festival.
There are expected to be about 100,000 people attending across the three days of the Radio 1 festival.
