Designing this year's Big Gig merch with Pioneer
Meet our adventure and international youth panel Pioneer, the brains behind our Big Gig merch
What happens when you give Pioneer (our adventure and international youth panel) the creative reins for the biggest Girlguiding event of the year?
The answer is pure magic!
From picking out sparkly threads for badges to talking to our brand experts, Pioneer (our adventure and international youth panel) have been working hard behind the scenes to make sure this year’s Big Gig merch is as memorable as the event itself.
But they’ve made sure the merch perfectly captures the buzz of Big Gig - and it can be worn and cherished long after the event itself!
They’ve been with us designing it from the start, from choosing every icon (from disco balls to friendship bracelets) to saying ‘yes’ to their favourite colours and planning our merchandise competition, they've been consulted on every single decision.
Last year, they spoke to our design team to give them a brief of what to create. Since then, they’ve had to make some tough decisions. They’ve given constructive feedback to our designers, taken part in meetings to have their voice heard and worked as a team to vote for their final design.
We sat down with Pioneer to chat about their favourite pieces, the secret details in their design, and what they’re excited to see when it all comes to life at Wembley on 10 October this year.
Whether you’re a Big Gig badge collector or a first-time ticket holder, here’s your exclusive look at the merch that’s ready to take centre stage.
What's your favourite bit of Big Gig merch? And why?
Xanthe: The tote bag! I think the logo design looks really good on it, and I'm really excited to see it in person when we go to Big Gig.
Sophia: I love, love, love the hoodies. I think I just love all hoodies to be honest!
Florence: The badge, because we put so much thought into it.
Zara: I love the badge!
Lucy: I love the icons that we chose as they really represent what Big Gig is about and they are very fun.
Amy: I like the hoodie, especially the logo on the back.
Aleena: THE HOODIES! They look so comfy and I love the design I’ll definitely be wearing mine everywhere.
Jenn: The badge!
What do you like about the design? And why?
Xanthe: It has a variety of icons which really captures the event (such as the music notes, disco ball and bracelets) which I think is important. It also reminds me of merchandise from other festivals or concerts that I've seen.
Sophia: I love the colours and the new modern logo!
Florence: I love the sparkle (music notes) because they add character to the design.
Zara:
I love to disco, dance and music so the design is the perfect badge for me. I love the colour scheme and think that the colours go together and complement each other perfectly, I think my favourite thing about the badge is the sparkly thread - sparkles are my favourite!'
Lucy: It’s very colourful and eye catching, which I think will be popular, especially because it is quite concert-style.
Amy: I love the badge design as it perfectly captures the vibe of Big Gig and its placement on the back of merch.
Aleena: I like the colour schemes and how they are simple designs but still look really cute!
Jenn: I think it really fits the theme of Big Gig and I enjoyed designing it.
Xanthe: The variety in the icons combined with the simplicity of the background word really well and fits well with other Girlguiding event designs. I really hope other members will like the design, because it feels really representative of the event as a whole.
Sophia: I think that the new logo design really feels very classic Girlguiding while also being modern and up to date.
Florence:
It was fun and colourful, and I think other Guides and Rangers will like it!'
Zara: I chose this design because it was really eye catching and will stand out against other badges.
Lucy: I think lots of people will like it because it’s very fun and clearly shows the experience of Big Gig. The blue is a nice background colour too!
Amy:
The badge perfectly captures the vibe of Big Gig with the different icons, the icons placements and its colour scheme.'
Aleena: The items we’ve chosen are very similar to what you’d find at other gigs and concerts, and the colours go really nicely together.
What are you excited for about Big Gig?
Xanthe:
I’m excited for Pioneer to be able to help backstage with the running of the event, as well as watching the performances! Basically, I'm really excited for the whole thing.
Florence: I can’t wait for everything!
Zara: I’m super excited for the whole of Big Gig! Some of the things I’m excited for most are that this will be my first time at Wembley, to hear what artists are performing and to hopefully get to meet them. And I can’t wait to see and experience an arena full of Guides and Rangers. I enjoy organising events and people and making sure everything is running smoothly are my absolute favourite things in the world, so I’m excited to see what Pioneer has done throughout the year come to life! And hopefully I’ll get a clipboard!
Lucy:
I can’t wait to meet up with loads of other Guides and Rangers, and see the merch come to life when people will be wearing or using it.'
Amy: I’m excited for the guiding community coming together, Big Gig being an event for older girls, the vibe and the safe space to attend a gig!
Aleena: I’m excited to see all Guides from different places come together and sing. And to have an amazing time experiencing a concert with all my guiding friends in a safe space.
Enter the competition to win the ultimate Big Gig merch bundle
To celebrate the official launch of our Big Gig 2026 collection, we’re giving 1 lucky member the chance to win the entire merchandise range!
Whether you love to doodle, paint, knit, print, collage or draw, we want to see your creativity take centre stage. We’re looking for you to create a piece of artwork inspired by the magic of Big Gig. It can be up to A3 in size.
It should be your own work, and as imaginative, colourful and creative as possible. You can use the Girlguiding colours or Big Gig logo, but please avoid using any pre-existing characters or logos, brand names, band names or logos, or third parties.
Make sure you don’t include any identifying features, photos or personal details, including your name, your town or city, or your Girlguiding group or names.
Competition details:
- Who: Open to all Girlguiding members aged 4-18.
- Entry deadline: The competition closes at 11.59pm on Monday 20 July.
- The prize: Every single item from the new Big Gig merch range, from the sparkly blanket badge to the tote bag!
Find out how to enter the competition.