The 2026 Proms: tell us about your favourite concerts — SkimNews
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- The 2026 BBC Proms ran 86 concerts over eight weeks at the Royal Albert Hall and regional venues in Bristol, Sunderland, Gateshead and Mold
- Critics' standouts included the Berlin Philharmonic, John Wilson's Sinfonia of London, the Oslo Philharmonic led by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, and the Aurora Orchestra's exploration of Mahler's 1st
- New works premiered this season included Mark-Anthony Turnage's Festen Suite, Thea Musgrave's Bassoon Concerto, and Jessie Montgomery's Cello Concerto
- Weber's Oberon made its Proms debut 200 years after its 1826 Covent Garden premiere, while a 250-strong choir performed Berlioz's Requiem and the Gesualdo Six held the hall rapt in a late-night programme of early music
- South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo delivered a sold-out late-night Prom in early August where teenagers and pensioners were seen dancing and beaming together
- 2027 will mark the centenary of the BBC funding and running the Proms concerts, and every 2026 Prom can be heard on BBC Sounds until 11 October
Why it matters: The 2026 Proms drew sold-out, cross-generational crowds — including teenagers and pensioners alike at Ladysmith Black Mambazo — even as the BBC uses this reader call-out to crowdsource programming input ahead of its 2027 centenary as steward of the world's largest classical music festival. With all 86 concerts preserved on BBC Sounds until 11 October and a 2027 milestone to shape around, listener feedback gathered now directly feeds a once-in-a-century programming moment.
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