STARS including Miley Cyrus, MK and Lewis Capaldi passed through Durham Tees Valley Airport in what Mayor Ben Houchen described as a 'mega weekend'.

Chart toppers and pop music royalty, including producer and DJ Mark Ronson and chart-topping band Mumford & Sons, flew into the airport to help kick-off the UK's music festival season at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Middlesbrough.

The event is now in its 16th year and the BBC worked closely with Middlesbrough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority to put on the festival, which is expected to generate £3.5m for the local area.

Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi (pictured), American DJ Marc Kinchen (pictured), otherwise known as MK, and British rock band Mumford & Sons also used the airport’s Jet Centre ahead of their performances.

Others included Sigala, Camelphat, Future, Mumford and Sons, and 21 Pilots.

The event coincided with the first holiday flights in more than five years taking off from Durham Tees Valley on Saturday to start-off the school half-term holidays.

Hundreds of pilgrims also used the airport, which went back into public ownership earlier this year, to fly to the Roman Catholic holy site of Lourdes, France, on Friday.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “It’s been a mega weekend for the airport, welcoming global stars to the region and holiday flights taking off for the first time in five years. "I’ve said from the start that our plan to make our airport a success will take time, but it’s already fantastic to see the departure lounge buzzing.”