Magic Radio has flipped to a 100% Christmas playlist with help from Dolly Parton.
Magic Breakfast’s Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott were joined by the American singer to play the first Christmas song and a selection of songs from the ‘A Holly Dolly Christmas’ album.
The station’s Christmas concert will be performed virtually in lieu of the London Palladium event which was unable to go ahead. Artists including Sam Smith, Gary Barlow, Jess Glynne, Leona Lewis and Jamie Cullum will perform festive hits in ‘The Magic of Christmas’. The event, hosted by Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott, will take place as a Facebook Watch Party on Sunday 29th November at 6pm, followed by an on-air broadcast on Tuesday 1st December at 7pm.
In August the station launched the ‘Magic 100% Christmas’ pop-up station and this month started the #ChristmasNow campaign. The campaign encouraged listeners and celebrities including Kylie, Sam Smith and Gary Barlow to put up their festive decorations early.
Magic Breakfast’s Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott said “Christmas songs bring so much cheer and we have been asked by so many of our listeners to switch the station. We listened and agree that the nation NEEDS Magic Radio 100% Christmas more than ever before. So, switch us on and settle in. It’s Christmas songs all day every day from now on in.”
Magic Radio is available on FM in London, DAB digital radio across the UK, on smart speakers and in apps. Magic will play only Christmas music until 27th December.
Absolute Radio to host virtual Christmas party
A day-long virtual office Christmas party will be headlined by bands Bastille and Blossoms in December. Listeners will have the chance to win weekend breaks, new bikes and home entertainment systems. Bastille will join Dave Berry on the Absolute Radio Breakfast show to play live tracks. Blossoms will join Bush and Richie on Hometime and both bands will perform their biggest hits and Christmas favourites. The Dixon Brothers from KISS FM will bring the party to a close with a Absolute 80s mix at 7pm.
Absolute Radio has hosted virtual events during lockdown, including the Front Room Festival and the pop-up Absolute Radio 40s station for the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Absolute Radio Content Director Paul Sylvester said “Absolute Radio has a huge army of workplace listeners who we know are going to miss out on the annual office shindig, so we wanted to create something special to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. We’ve tried to mimic everything that normally happens with live music, great DJs, Secret Santa and embarrassing photos, but do in the virtual world which we’ve all been forced to inhabit since the pandemic began.”
The day-long event takes place on Friday 4th December from 6am to 8pm with KP Nuts.