BBC Radio 1 Dance
BBC Radio 1 Dance is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in a wide range of dance and electronic music, featuring a mix of presenter-led programmes, curated DJ sets and live or pre-recorded performances.
The station was launched in October 2020 as a spin-off from Radio 1 exclusively on BBC Sounds. From September 2025, the station began broadcasting on DAB+. Some shows are simulcast on Radio 1 during late-night slots or events. Such shows from Radio 1 are also occasionally re-broadcast on Radio 1 Dance independently.
History
Dance and electronic music has a long history on BBC Radio, beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, coinciding with the rise of dance culture and the rave scene in the UK.BBC Radio 1 under then-controller Matthew Bannister played a pivotal role in bringing these genres to a wider, mainstream audience. Its shows, such as Pete Tong's Essential Selection which launched in 1991, have shaped UK club culture, providing a valued platform for DJs and producers.
Many significant figures in the dance scene have had shows on Radio 1, including Judge Jules, Annie Nightingale, Dave Pearce, and Danny Rampling. Radio 1 also broadcasts many live electronic shows and performances, including from music festivals such as Creamfields and Glastonbury, events such as The Warehouse Project, and Ibizan clubs. BBC Radio 1Xtra was launched in 2002 as a dedicated platform for contemporary black music, often featuring dance genres such as drum and bass, UK garage, grime, and dubstep.
Launch on BBC Sounds
From as early as November 2019, reports showed that the BBC was considering launching 'spin-off stations' of their popular music stations, including a dedicated dance stream. Jonathan Wall, controller of BBC Sounds, confirmed in February 2020 that Radio 1 Dance was to launch in spring 2020, but this was later delayed due to reduced broadcast schedules at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Radio 1 Dance launched exclusively on BBC Sounds on 9 October 2020 with Annie Mac, Danny Howard and Pete Tong hosting a 4-hour dance marathon from 6 pm, simulcast on Radio 1. The station was initially a 24-hour radio stream, with all programming made up of archive or repeat content, or simulcasts from Radio 1.
The launch was met with criticism from commercial bodies. Andy Carter, chair of the All-party parliamentary group on Commercial Radio, said: "new services like Radio 1 Dance do not appear to meet the important public value tests that the BBC must observe." In late September 2020, following complaints from commercial bodies, Ofcom reviewed Radio 1 Dance, saying "we do not require the BBC to conduct a Public Interest Test because we consider the impact of the Radio 1 Dance stream on the market is likely to be small, particularly given it will be online only and will contain no new or exclusive content."
In 2021, commercial radio body Radiocentre challenged Ofcom’s decision not to require a Public Interest Test before the launch of Radio 1 Dance. Radiocentre argued that Ofcom had acted unlawfully by failing to assess the impact of the new BBC service on the wider radio market. The case was heard in the High Court in 2023. In July of that year, the court ruled in favour of Ofcom, stating that its decision had been lawful and rational, and that it had properly considered the relevant statutory duties before concluding that the impact of Radio 1 Dance was likely to be minimal, especially as it was online-only.
In April 2021, the BBC launched another music stream on BBC Sounds, Radio 1 Relax which closed on 24 July 2024.
Expansion
In February 2024, the BBC announced plans to expand the Radio 1 Dance stream, including a launch on the corporation's existing DAB+ spectrum.Subject to regulatory approval, including a Public Interest Test, the stream would be upgraded to a full-time station and no longer remain online-only. The expanded station would feature newly commissioned programming, with a minimum of 45% of music from UK artists and at least a third of daytime music from new artists. Radio 1 Dance would also increase its coverage of live events and provide a platform for emerging DJs.
On 15 July 2024, an expanded schedule was introduced ahead of a launch on DAB+. The new line-up included a weekday morning show hosted by Arielle Free and a daily playlist programme presented by Connor Coates, broadcast from Belfast. These additions marked the first exclusive daytime shows for the stream. In its July 2024 review, Ofcom confirmed that the schedule changes to the Radio 1 Dance stream were not considered material under the BBC Charter, allowing the corporation to proceed without conducting a Public Interest Test.
On 2 July 2025, following a formal consultation process the plans to launch on DAB+ were approved by Ofcom.
Launch on DAB+
Following Ofcom's approval, Radio 1 Dance launched without prior announcement on DAB+ in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2025, alongside Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind.The BBC formally confirmed the launch in a press release issued on 12 September 2025, marking what it described as a "significant milestone" in its radio history. The statement noted that Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind were the first music networks to be added to the BBC's radio portfolio since the launch of 1Xtra, 6 Music and Asian Network in 2002. To accommodate the new services, the BBC National DAB multiplex was reconfigured, resulting in reduced bitrates for several existing stations.
Radio 1 Dance was described by the corporation as "24/7 dance music from the world’s biggest DJs", providing a genre-led service focused on electronic music, house, techno and drum and bass. To celebrate the launch, the station began a week of special programming on 15 September 2025, featuring a mix of classic and exclusive DJ sets, including an exclusive Essential Mix from Carl Cox recorded live at UNVRS| in Ibiza, a replay of the Radio 1 Ibiza Prom from 2015, and sets from Eric Prydz, Disclosure and Peggy Gou.
Alongside the press release on 12 September 2025, Radio 1 Dance launched an official , debuting with a shared post in collaboration with BBC Radio 1. The reel featured a loading bar animation beneath the station's logo, accompanied by the caption: "15.09.25... ?". The post drew supportive comments from several BBC presenters, including Danny Howard, Sarah Story, Charlie Hedges and Connor Coates.
Programming
At launch in October 2020, Radio 1 Dance primarily featured repeated dance music programming from the main BBC Radio 1 schedule. This included one-hour playlist shows originally broadcast as part of Radio 1 Early Breakfast, which were then repeated across the week to form the majority of the daytime output. Regular hosts during this period included Adele Roberts, Arielle Free and Connor Coates.The schedule also drew on presenters from Radio 1’s Friday Early Breakfast initiative, in which emerging radio DJs at the start of their broadcasting careers are given month-long stints on the Friday edition of the show. These presenters subsequently contributed to Radio 1 Dance. During its early years, the overall schedule remained largely unchanged, aside from adjustments to Friday night simulcasts, which were revised following the departure of Annie Mac in July 2021.
In June 2024, the corporation announced a significant schedule refresh for Radio 1 Dance, introducing new and exclusive programmes to the stream from 15 July 2024. This also ended the repeated playlist shows from Radio 1 Early Breakfast. These changes were made in anticipation of the station's expansion beyond online streaming, ahead of its eventual launch on DAB+ in September 2025.
Monday to Friday Daytime
hosts Radio 1 Dance Morning, which airs from 9 am to 12 pm. This is followed by Radio 1 Dance with Connor Coates, a daily playlist broadcast from Belfast. This the first show on the station to be regularly broadcast outside of London as part of the BBC's Across The UK strategy.From 3 pm, Radio 1 Dance Party Starters airs for an hour. This show is hosted by Jess Iszatt six days a week, while the Friday edition is hosted by Sam MacGregor and Danni Diston, and simulcast with the main Radio 1 network. In the drivetime slot, Radio 1's Dance Anthems, a flagship dance programme on the network featuring classic dance music in the mix, airs for two hours at 4 pm with Charlie Hedges.