For classical music lovers it doesn’t get much better than the BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, better known as The Proms. A British national treasure since Victorian times, this greatest festival of classical music roars into London’s Royal Albert Hall in mid-July, setting off 84 concerts and eight weeks of non-stop musical feasting.
The Proms’ founding promise was to create a joyous celebration of music and reach the widest possible audience. That means Proms are affordably priced, and every concert famously features hundreds of ‘Promming’ tickets for £8 each. These give you the unique chance to stand in the central Arena, or stand, sit or even lie down in the Upstairs Gallery. You can also tap into dozens of free and extra events, talks, films and workshops, and the Proms are broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and online.
The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert hall 2025
The BBC Proms returns this summer from 18 July to 13 September, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more eclectic than ever. With a programme overflowing with musical riches, the 2025 season spans continents, centuries and genres – a full-bodied celebration of the classical canon alongside contemporary brilliance, boundary-breaking collaborations, and spellbinding performances that defy easy categorisation.
At its heart, the Proms remains a love letter to the great composers: expect a roll call of titans including Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Rachmaninov, Beethoven and Mahler. Their masterpieces are brought to life by some of the finest orchestras in the world, offering audiences that quintessential Proms blend of gravitas and grandeur. From epic symphonies to intimate chamber pieces, every concert promises a deep dive into the enduring power of classical music.
But this season, the Proms also reaches far beyond the traditional. The global stage is centrepiece here, as international ensembles jet in from Paris, Oslo and Melbourne, transforming the Royal Albert Hall into a vibrant crossroads of cultures and styles. There’s the distinctive South Asian fusion of Grammy-winner Arooj Aftab, the haunting soundscapes of Japanese film composer Joe Hisaishi, and a late-night appearance from Nigerian highlife revivalists The Cavemen – all testament to the Proms’ ever-widening musical embrace.
Opera lovers are in for a treat: a sumptuous staging of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro by Glyndebourne Festival Opera sits alongside Bartók’s brooding Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra and an all-Hungarian cast. Choral works soar too, from the radiant lyricism of Delius’s A Mass of Life to the atmospheric mysticism of Ravel’s Shéhérazade and the spirited exuberance of Handel’s Baroque oratorios.
Vocal music takes a starring role throughout, with a glittering line-up of singers set to raise the roof at the Royal Albert Hall. Jazz sensation Samara Joy brings her hypnotic, Grammy-winning voice to the Proms, while the revered Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir offers a deeply spiritual journey through the works of Arvo Pärt, marking the minimalist master’s 90th birthday.
For night owls and sonic adventurers, the Late Night Proms series is a heady invitation into bold musical territory. Expect virtuosic performances of Berio and Boulez, immersive storytelling through sound, and genre-defying collaborations, including mandolinist Avi Avital’s journey through Crimean, Turkish and klezmer traditions. There’s even an all-night Prom curated by organist Anna Lapwood, taking audiences from dusk till dawn in an experience part concert, part spiritual vigil.
There’s also plenty for the theatrically inclined – don your cloak and torch and join The Traitors for a mischievous evening of musical treachery, promising drama, deception and delight.
And while the Royal Albert Hall remains the beating heart of the Proms, this year’s programme once again takes the music out across the UK. From the Glasshouse in Gateshead and the Bristol Beacon to new stops in Sunderland, Bradford, Belfast and St George’s Bristol, the Proms is continuing its mission to make world-class music available to all.
So whether you’re a classical purist, a curious explorer or simply looking for an unforgettable evening, this summer’s Proms offers something to stir every soul.
First Night of the Proms
The 2025 First Night at The Proms brings together the roar of the sea, the fall of ancient walls, and glimpses of the divine. Expect Mendelssohn’s vivid Scottish landscapes, Sibelius’s Nordic majesty, and a powerful new commission from Errollyn Wallen. Vaughan Williams’s Sancta civitas crowns the evening with apocalyptic vision and spiritual awe.
Last Night of the Proms
As ever, the Proms season culminates in that beloved ritual known as the Last Night of the Proms (13 September), complete with traditional fancy dress, party poppers, balloons and flag-waving sing-a-longs to ‘Rule, Britannia!’ and ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. The biggest night in classical music returns! The 2025 BBC Proms closes with a Last Night at the Proms bursting with star power and surprises. Elim Chan leads the BBC Symphony Orchestra, joined by soprano Louise Alder and trumpeter Alison Balsom. Expect classics, singalongs, premieres, and cinematic flair — broadcast live on BBC One, Two and iPlayer.
The full schedule of the BBC Proms can be found here.
When is The BBC Proms 2025?
18 July to 13 September 2025
The BBC Proms Programme
For the Proms programme and further information, click here: BBC Proms 2025.
The BBC Proms Tickets
Tickets are £10 to £160 and can be booked via the Royal Albert Hall website.
Images courtesy BBC Proms Press Office, lead photo Martin Allan; Marin Alsop/Last Night of the Proms, photos Chris Christodoulou
