Introduction

BBC Sounds

Christmas podcast specials including Teach Me A Lesson with Ed Sheeran, Tony Bellew Is Angry with Romesh Ranganathan, Pressed, You’re Dead To Me, Uncanny, Building Queertopia and Fortunately... with Fi and Jane.

Boxset dramas available to binge on including chilling new medical drama SteelHeads starring Jessica Barden.

Escape with audiobooks and adaptations such as How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie and The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

Soundtrack the festivities with music mixes from Charli XCX, Big Narstie, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Nadia Jae, Baby Queen and more.

Pop Music Radio

On Radio 1 Clara Amfo unveils her Hottest Record Of The Year on Radio 1’s Future Sounds, and in The Official Chart (24 December) Scott Mills unveils the Christmas Number 1.

Big Narstie invites listeners to the ultimate 1Xtra Boxing Day party, and the station brings in the New Year with 12 hours of the biggest tunes from the Noughties hosted by their presenting family.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day on Radio 2 brings specials from Human League, Pet Shop Boys and Westlife, Gospel from Mica Paris, plus Trevor Nelson joins the BBC Concert Orchestra for a Soul Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall with guests including Chic’s Kimberly Davis, Basement Jaxx vocalist Vula Malinga, soul singer Tony Momrelle, and Ivor Novello-winning producer Troy Miller.

Tom Daley makes his Radio 2 presenting debut and New Year’s Eve brings shows from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Romesh Ranganathan and Michelle Visage.

Asian Network Certified Throwback on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with mixes to soundtrack listeners’ festivities; and there’s a network takeover from some of 2021’s successful applicants of BBC Asian Network Represents - the station’s biggest ever talent search (26 December and 2 January).

On BBC Radio 6 Music, there are Festive Takeover shows (20 - 24 December) from Kelis, Arlo Parks, Robert Plant, Common & Robert Glasper and Jarvis Cocker. Queermas returns on Christmas Eve with mixes and specials from Lynks, HE.SHE.THEY. and Sherelle; and Best Of… New Music Fix looks back at the stand-out releases from 2021 on New Year’s Eve.

Radio 3, Orchestras and Choirs

Radio 3 features favourite festive sounds from Petroc Trelawny in his live Christmas Morning special, plus seasonal music editions of In Tune, Late Junction and a special Midnight Slow Radio. Experience a walk through the empty streets of Venice at midnight, a Christmas concert live from Vienna’s Musikverein and the results of the annual Carol Competition.

Also on Radio 3, Sound Walks With Horatio Clare take listeners on an aural journey to the summit of the Four Peaks; Private Passions’ guest is John Cleese, and a special Christmas read-a-long of classic festive prose with Robert Webb and Nina Sosanya.

Radio 3 celebrates the 150th anniversary of Verdi’s much-loved opera Aida, looking at the story of this masterpiece from an Egyptian perspective through the eyes of historian Flora Willson.
Singer-songwriter Laura Mvula invites listeners into her music room to play some of her favourite music that's got her through 2021.

HRH The Prince of Wales joins Ian Skelly and the BBC Singers for a special programme celebrating the 21st anniversary of the reintroduction of the role of Royal Harpist with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony Of Carols.

The BBC Singers join forces with the GSMD Jazz Band for A Roaring Christmas, a celebration of festive favourites from the 1920s.

BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus come together for a concert featuring Benjamin Britten’s captivating cantata, St Nicholas.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales spreads seasonal cheer with Handel’s Messiah and a concert of popular carols with readings from much-loved BBC Wales presenters.

Singer and presenter Jamie MacDougall joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra bringing their annual Christmas At The Movies to Glasgow’s City Halls.

The BBC Philharmonic bring festive fun with Hacker & Dodge from CBBC and CBeebies, broadcast across all England BBC Local Radio stations.

Radio 4, 4 Extra and 5 Live

Radio 4’s Today Programme welcomes seven Guest Editors who will take over the programme during the festive period: Raheem Sterling, England and Manchester City professional footballer; General Sir Nick Carter, Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff; Mina Smallman, former Church of England archdeacon, mother of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry; James Rebanks, Cumbrian farmer and bestselling author; Dr Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace; Jacky Wright, Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft US; and Lord Dobbs, Conservative peer and author of House Of Cards.

On Radio 4, Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam return for more acclaimed comedy in Conversations From A Long Marriage At Christmas Again (pictured above). Meanwhile The Archers are set to promenade in The Ambridge Mystery Plays.

John Finnemore and Samantha Bond star in Moominland Midwinter; there’s the first radio adaptation of The Princess Bride, and Jessica Barden stars in a near-future thriller, SteelHeads, the latest offering in Radio 4’s Limelight drama strand.

Stephen Graham narrates a moving true story in Walking On Jupiter, and Anita Anand charts the efforts of British soldiers to get an Afghanistan interpreter and his family to safety.

A Love Actually edition of The Reunion features Richard Curtis and others; Barry Humphries chats with Miriam Margolyes and Rob Brydon; plus Sandi Toksvig welcomes guests including Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

Podcasts specials ranging from the frightening, festive and funny also come to Radio 4 courtesy of Uncanny, Fortunately with Fi & Jane, and You’re Dead To Me.

Radio 4 Extra places The Snow Queen at the centre of a collection of fantasy dramas, and there’s further Moomin-related treats.

On 5 Live on Christmas Day Stacey Dooley presents a Christmas Special, joined by friends and special guests as they celebrate together; Scott Mills’ Today will feature a festive Upside Down Quiz, special guests, laughs and plenty of other surprises.

Over 24 hours of sport on 5 Live, starting from 11pm on Christmas Day, including live coverage of The Ashes and a Boxing Day packed with football.

BBC World Service

From BBC World Service there’s a behind-the-scenes look at Sir Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! The Arts Hour New Year Comedy Special returns, plus a special edition of Heart And Soul with Italian Tenor Andrea Bocelli.

BBC Local Radio

Local BBC Radio’s Make a Difference campaign has teamed up with Ed Sheeran, Duran Duran and a number of other music stars in a new feel-good campaign, to thank key workers like, nurses, teachers, binmen and more making a difference, in a special week of programmes across England this Christmas. At 9am daily, from Monday 27 December to Friday 31 December, Local BBC Radio is saying thank you to some of the nation’s hero key-workers by setting them up to meet and put their questions to their favourite music heroes.