
Radio 1 will mark its 500th Essential Mix later this month with a special live broadcast. Who the 500th DJ to fill the two-hour slot will be is a secret, and his or her identity will only be revealed on the night. Candidates for the honour were nominated by former Essential Mix DJs, including Carl Cox, Paul Van Dyk and Tiësto, while the final mixer was chosen by a panel of dance music industry experts including Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Judge Jules, Cream's James Barton, Mixmag's Ralph Moore and Resident Advisor's Nick Sabine.
Pete Tong, who provided the first ever Essential Mix and has hosted the show since it began, told CMU: "Bringing the Essential Mix to the nation on Radio 1 has always and continues to excite me. It's always been a platform to showcase the best DJ talent and new music from around the world, whether it be legends of dance music or future stars. The thing that excites me most is introducing new genres and breaking artists to a wider audience. There have been 500 fantastic essential mixes - here's to another 500!"
Radio 1's Deputy Controller, Ben Cooper added: "The list of contributors to the Essential Mix reads like a who's who of dance music and underlines the programme's significant part in popularising the genre. The list also highlights the show's unique ability to inform listeners every week of dance music's many musical shifts and trends from 1993 to the present day".
The 500th Essential Mix will be broadcast live from the Circus nightclub in Liverpool on 24 Apr from 1am to 3am, followed by live sets from Sasha and Richie Hawtin. The identity of the landmark mixer will be revealed on Pete Tong's show on 23 Apr between 9pm and 11pm.