BBC Proms announces 2021 programme of live concerts

The BBC Proms has announced its programme for 2021, welcoming audiences back to the Royal Albert Hall in the iconic London venue's 150th anniversary year. 

Highlights include:

• The BBC Orchestra and Choirs, joined by musicians including Nicola Benedetti, Karen Cargill, Lucy Crowe, Sir Mark Elder, Benjamin Grosvenor, Steven Isserlis, Sally Matthews, Sir Simon Rattle, Christine Rice, Roderick Williams and Sir John Eliot Gardiner

• Five concerts celebrating the Albert Hall's organ, including four new works commissioned by the BBC

• International artists including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Joshua Bell, Sol Gabetta, Kirill Gerstein, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Vladimir Jurowski and Stuart Skelton

• Four mystery Proms, to be revealed at a later date

• A celebration of Camille Saint-Saëns on the 100th anniversary of his death, in a special family Prom. The seven Kanneh-Mason siblings will be joined by former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo for The Carnival of the Animals.

David Pickard, director of the Proms, said: ‘Planning a Proms season in a pandemic isn’t easy. We have relied on the creativity and collaboration of many people to offer a programme of such ambition, scale and quality, and are proud to celebrate so much outstanding British talent this summer.

'We are looking forward to welcoming live audiences back to the Royal Albert Hall in its 150th anniversary year, and to sharing six weeks of live music with audiences in the Hall and at home on BBC Radio 3 and on BBC TV. I hope you will join us for a summer filled with music.’

Booking opens for all concerts taking place between 30 July and 20 August at 9.00am on Saturday 26 June. For all concerts taking place between 21 August and 10 September, booking opens at 9.00am on Saturday 17 July.

For more information visit bbc.co.uk/proms.