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Thanks to Maskarade and also Jono.
Last one in (you'll wear out your eyeballs) 20d thanks to hints. I suppose that's an accurate description. I define the bigger version as something you can get lost in.

Finished, after spending too much time on it (very wet day). FOI: 4d, wrong. LOI: 4d. Struggled with the 5th and 10th unnumbered, eventually used their common letter at start of 15a to narrow down options and check Wikipedia. Had the unlikely crossers for 23a for a long time: not in the Crossword Solver's vocabulary, only vaguely familiar when I got there via 15a in the end (penultimate OI).

I enjoy the Bank Holiday special, but this was just too much hard work with the unnumbered answers split unpredictably to add a layer of complexity! But glad to have completed.

Many thanks Maskerade, and to Jono - although I didn’t use this one (as I get the paper edition) I know how invaluable I have found these offerings when I have been away over a holiday weekend.
I love these holiday specials, and have done for many years whether I am familiar with the theme or not. I have a sneaking suspicion that Araucaria would have made the anagrams contain oblique references to the works referenced, but this was a massive achievement and ‘chapeau’ to M for the creativity (I’ve been watching the Vuelta a Espana on TV, in case you hadn’t guessed!)
FOI 9d , followed by 21d which led me towards the theme - ‘Leo led…’ fell into my lap once I’d seen 21, although I spent a long time looking for 21’s partner from the first theme until I re-read the instructions. LOI 10d, nearly LOI 45A/51d which is embarrassing as this is exactly my era. The anagrams with alphabetical guidance were good value, although showed me I am no longer as good at anagrams as I used to be; like others, I thought several of the numbered clues were too straightforward.
I echo someone’s comment about the nature of this forum, I really appreciate the community here especially as I have lost (through retirement and a couple of bereavements) the people I used to enjoy solving with. On the familiarity of themes, one of my good friends was an opera lover and a couple of weeks after we had both enjoyed an Araucaria opera-theme special, I directed her to another Saturday Araucaria - she came back the next day with ‘How do you expect me to know bloody Britney Spears songs?’

Thanks again for the hints and company, and I hope that Maskarade continues to span the decades in his themes. Apparently Emerson said ‘ Why should we grope among the dry bones of the past, or put the living generation into masquerade out of its faded wardrobe?’ - here’s why!

Finished! I love these, that frisson of excitement when you open the paper and find it's a big special long weekend number. A whole morning wondering whether the penny will ever drop, then the light bulb moment when the theme suddenly jumps out at you. All the while plugging away at the regular clues, avoiding the blogs and hints, because you want to know you've still got it.
I still send my 90 year old mother a photo of the finished grid, because my late father did these. Mr Freud would love that.
Some of the regular clues were almost too obvious, like 6d, and I still don't get the parsing for 20d, but I knew lots of the theme answers. Took me ages to twig 41d though, finally got that woken with a start at 4am! Great stuff keep them coming.

Nelliegee, Parsing for 20d. is 'fell' (3) in 'duck' (4) + 1-letter abbreviation for 'day.

Cymro me too. Dropped flukily into the unnumbered clues due to the 12th one having a Q. And 2 Gs.

That was hard work but finally, finally finished. FOI 21D and last one in the maddening 23A. Have never heard of either part of this anagram.

Thanks for help yesterday @rogissimo, turns out I had already placed the first word of first unnumbered clue and it was another I was missing. Already had 47d, but 20d came when I realised your hint was inside out 😀

Thanks mattrom yes fell, I see it finally.

Really interesting to read digferent experiences in solving this.

Looking at the grid I calculate that over 60% of the fill is thematic which is quite an achievement in 23x23.

Also (and no one will care I suspect) it is one letter short of a pangram.