Tens of thousands of music fans are today eagerly awaiting news of how they can get their hands on free tickets for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich.

It was yesterday confirmed that the city will be home to Europe's biggest free-ticketed event – and the majority of places will go to people in Norwich and the surrounding area.

Taylor Swift was the first confirmed performer and the seven-time Grammy award-winner is expected to be on a long list of top music stars who will perform at the festival, at Earlham Park, on the weekend of May 23 and 24.

The full performing line-up will be announced in the coming months.

Taylor said: 'Everyone talks about the festivals in England being the best ones you can go to. I feel like I've been missing out – I'm really excited.'

The annual high-profile event has been held every year for more than a decade, and is broadcast on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and BBC Three.

City council leader Brenda Arthur, said: 'This is great news for Norwich and will give us the chance to show off this amazing city at its best while also generating an income of £3.5m for the city.

'Our events team have been working for six years to try to bring the event to Norwich. We knew in December it was coming for definite and it was hard to keep it on the low.

'Now, we will be working very closely with the University of East Anglia, Radio 1, and emergency services to help plan the event. We want the event to cause as minimum amount as disruption to the city as possible, while letting people go to Earlham Park and enjoy the remarkable atmosphere over the two days.'

The BBC is yet to confirm ticket allocations. When the Big Weekend was in Glasgow last year, tickets were divided into three pots, with 70pc reserved for those living in Glasgow, 25pc for the rest of Scotland and 5pc to the rest of the UK.

Last year, 2,000 pairs of tickets were released a month before the show and were allocated in pairs, meaning people could only apply for one day at a time. People were able to buy either by phone or online.

In the week building up to the event, BBC Radio 1 Academy will be inviting youngsters aged 16-19, to embark on a week of masterclasses to offer them tips and experience into their prospective careers.

Organisation plans for the event will take place over the coming months.

Helen Selleck, culture and events manager at Norwich City Council, said: 'We will be looking to put on extra public transport for the event and will be discussing this with local providers. We are also hoping to have car parking within walking distance of the site.'

Who would you like to see at the event? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk