The BBC has unveiled its programming on country music this year across radio, TV and digital.
Radio 2 will once again be at C2C – Country to Country, in London, Belfast and Glasgow this weekend (Friday, March 14 to Sunday, March 16).
As the official broadcast partner of C2C since 2013, highlights will be aired across three days, led by Radio 2’s Country Show presenter, Bob Harris.
As well as presenting acts on stage at The O2 in London, Harris will be fronting shows live on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds during the weekend on Saturday (3-6pm) and Sunday (8-10pm). He will be joined by musicians for live sessions and highlights from the main stage.
Grammy-nominated artist Mickey Guyton will share hosting duties on stage and on air. Harris will preview the festival on his Country Show on Radio 2 on Thursday, March 13 (9-10pm) and review the weekend on Thursday, March 20.
Bob Harris said: “I have been proud to host the Country to Country Festival in London since its inception in 2013 and it has been a joy to watch it grow to become one of the most important events in the global Country music calendar. Radio 2 has been with the Festival from the very first day, helping Country music to become Britain’s fastest growing music genre.”
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said: “Radio 2’s commitment to specialist music is unrivalled in UK radio and we’re proud that our Country Show, hosted by Bob Harris, is the nation’s most listened to Country music programme. We’re excited to be broadcasting from all three locations for C2C in 2025, as part of our mission to introduce our listeners to the best of both new and established Country artists from across the UK.”
On Friday (March 14), The Scott Mills Breakfast Show (6.30-9.30am) will broadcast live from BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast; Vernon Kay’s show (9.30am – noon) features Tracks of My Years with Lainey Wilson this week; and Jeremy Vine (12-2pm) will be broadcasting live from Glasgow on Friday.
Mills will also be at C2C at Belfast’s SSE Arena on Friday night, co-hosting the event with BBC Radio Ulster’s Country Show presenter John Kerr.
There will be live performances at Radio 2 Showcases at King Tut’s in Glasgow on Saturday, March 15 hosted by Edith Bowman – and available the following week on BBC Sounds – featuring artists Chanel Yates, Harper O’Neill and Kassi Ashton.
The Radio 2 showcase at The Limelight, Belfast, on Saturday, March 15, is hosted by BBC Radio Ulster’s Country Show presenter John Kerr with performances from former X Factor contestant Janet Devlin, Jeff Cohen, Abbie Mac and Kieran O’Connell. In addition, BBC Scotland and BBC Northern Ireland will be producing packages for Bob Harris’ shows featuring country music stories from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Radio 2 has been with the Festival from the very first day, helping Country music to become Britain’s fastest growing music genre
Bob Harris
Radio 2 Loves Country programming is already available on BBC Sounds, including Best Of C2C 2024 presented by BBC Wales’ Country show presenter Bronwen Lewis; C2C Greatest Hits presented by Darius Rucker; Gethin’s Guide to Country with Gethin Jones; and C2C Acoustic Sessions 2025 hosted by Bob Harris, featuring acoustic music from C2C 2025 acts including Tyler Hubbard, Chayce Beckham, Nate Smith and Lainey Wilson.
This summer, BBC iPlayer will be the home of Country Music Summer Festival, featuring the biggest moments from the annual CMA (Country Music Association) Fest, which takes place in Nashville, Tennessee in June.
In September, BBC Two will air Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip, produced by Salamanda Media.
Rachel Davies, commissioning Editor, BBC popular music TV, said: “We’ve seen an explosion of interest in country in the past few years, so it’s a great moment to explore the history, evolution and rising significance of this genre. We’ll be bringing audiences extended coverage of the biggest moments in the country music calendar and we’re delighted that Rob Brydon will be sharing his love of the music and putting his own unique spin on a tour around the US southern states.”
Also in September on BBC Two is Rebel Country, directed by Francis Whately and produced by Janet Lee for Whynow Studios and BMG.
“The feature-length documentary explores a new breed of authentic stars who are rewriting the rules and challenging the culture of country music,” said a statement.
Artists paving the way include Jelly Roll, Blanco Brown, Breland, Lindsay Ell, Brooke Eden and Lainey Wilson, as well as the impact of Lil Nas X and Beyonce in the genre.
In November, the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards will once again be streamed live on BBC iPlayer. This year will be the 59th edition of the awards, which take place each year at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee.
BBC Four will broadcast a highlights programme in the days that follow the live stream. On Radio 2, there will be a CMA Awards special edition of The Country Show with Bob Harris.
PHOTO: Kane Brown at C2C 2024 at O2 Arena (Joseph Okpako/WireImage/Getty Images)
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