
BBC announces 2025 Proms lineup – including first female-fronted Last Night
Also making her Proms debut will be Claudia Winkleman, who, fully cloaked, will present a Traitors Prom featuring a mix of symphonic pop and classical music exploring timeless themes of intrigue, treachery and betrayal. Suzy Klein, the head of arts and classical music TV at the BBC, promised that the concert would evoke all the drama of the Highland castle where the hugely popular reality TV show takes place. There won't be gameplay or interaction, she added, but 'it is going to be shaped and curated as a dramatic evening. There's so much music featured in the series that we wanted to take some of that and say to people, 'Welcome to the world of classical music, you're already listening to it and loving it without realising it!'' Winkleman will be joined by the BBC Scottish Symphony and the BBC Singers, with other guests and the full programme to be announced. Will season three fan favourite Linda Rands, a retired opera singer, be taking part? Potentially, said Klein.
Successful BBC brands will also be giving shape to the children's concerts: a CBeebies bedtime story prom and the return of the Wildlife Jamboree Prom in Gateshead's Glasshouse Centre for Music. The Ulster Orchestra will perform a concert celebrating the centenary of the Shipping Forecast with music inspired by the sea and a new work composed and performed by poet laureate Simon Armitage.
And, although not quite a Proms first (1983's season featured an all-night prom of Indian classical music), the first overnight prom of the 21st century will run from 11pm to 7am and, curated and conducted by organist Anna Lapwood, will also feature Japanese pianist and YouTube sensation Hayato Sumino alongside the much loved Norwegian ensemble Barokksolistene. 'We want it to be very engaging, there will be a real breadth of repertoire,' said Sam Jackson, the controller of BBC Radio 3 and the Proms. 'There's something very special about classical music at night time. The intimacy of certain repertoire really lends itself to that kind of immersive listening,' he continued. 'But the intention is not simply to put people to sleep for eight hours, although audiences can of course come and respond to the music in whatever way you want!' Blankets and pillows will however not be allowed into the Royal Albert Hall, the venue confirmed, nor will the seating be reconfigured.
'The only time Lapwood gets to practice the RAH organ is usually between midnight and four in the morning, because it's the only time when somebody isn't getting in or getting out for another gig. She absolutely knows how to unleash energy at that time of the day!' added Klein.
Among some notable anniversaries honoured this year, there will be a focus on the music of Shostakovich, who died in 1975, and a complete performance – only the second ever at the Proms – of his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, with the chorus of the English National Opera. Proms regulars Aurora Orchestra will perform his fifth symphony by heart following a dramatic exploration of its troubled origins and meaning, and Chineke! will celebrate their 10th birthday with guest conductor Simon Rattle leading the Black and ethnically diverse orchestra through a programme that includes Shostakovich's 10th symphony.
Ravel – born 150 years ago – features on the opening weekend: his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand will be played by Nicholas McCarthy, which will be the first time the concerto has been played at the Proms by a one-handed pianist since it was performed by the man it was composed for, Paul Wittgenstein, in 1932. Boulez, whose centenary is celebrated this year, features in three proms including a late-night one performed by the Ensemble intercontemporain (the group he founded), which places his modernist music alongside Luciano Berio's, whose centenary it also is.
Other international orchestras include the Royal Concertgebouw with their chief conductor designate Klaus Mäkelä, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Twenty-five proms will be televised – more than ever before, said Klein. 'We had record breaking numbers last year, over 5m streams on BBC Sounds, and across TV and iPlayer we reached nearly 13 million people.'
The Royal Albert Hall was full to 96% capacity for evening Proms in 2024, said Jackson. He confirmed that the Last Night will end in its now traditional style, with Rule, Britannia among the closing pieces. 'The Last Night always evokes strong opinions and discussion. There are some people for whom it's a really important tradition, and there are some who say it's now part of how they would like to celebrate in the summer,' he said. 'Our job is to cater for as broad an audience as possible, but also to ask, how can we continue to develop this festival? What can we do differently? How can we introduce new music? And how can we over the course of 86 concerts make sure that there's a real breadth of repertoire of artists? And then there's something for everybody.'
The Proms will run from 18 July to 13 September. General booking opens at 9am on 17 May.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
a few seconds ago
- Metro
EastEnders confirms new romance as two Walford favourites go on a date
In upcoming episodes of EastEnders , sparks begin to fly between Gina Knight (Francesca Henry) and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway), as a surprising connection starts to form in Albert Square. What begins as a tense rivalry gradually shifts into something potentially more romantic thanks to unexpected help from wingman Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho). Harry and Kojo have struck up a strong friendship while working together at the garage. When Kojo seeks dating advice, Harry is happy to dish it out, and, in a twist of fate, that advice leads him to pursue Gina himself. Realising Kojo owes him a favour, Harry convinces him to put in a glowing word to Gina, something that surprisingly works in his favour. Their early interactions were far from romantic. Previously, Harry attempted to blackmail Gina and irritated her during her trial shift at Harry's Barn, hardly a promising start for a romance. But regardless of the friction, a spark begins to form between the pair. Eventually, Harry works up the courage to ask Gina out, and she agrees, albeit somewhat reluctantly. While she isn't impressed at first, Harry's rugged charm and Kojo's endorsement begin to soften her stance. It seems she's willing to give him a chance, as long as he can prove himself worthy of her time. View More » As the date looms, Harry faces the task of convincing Gina that he's more than a cheeky charmer, that he's someone she can trust. Given their rocky history and Gina's guarded nature, it won't be easy. Yet the tension in their dynamic, combined with the promise of real emotional connection, is set to have fans buzzing with excitement over whether this could be the start of something lasting, or just another Walford drama in the making… MORE: All 42 EastEnders spoiler pictures for next week as pregnancy secret is exposed MORE: EastEnders' Harry star once tried his luck on BBC talent show and looked totally different MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as unexpected attack rocks Walford


Daily Mirror
a minute ago
- Daily Mirror
90s cult series hailed the 'best British TV drama ever' is now streaming
Starring Andrew Lincoln and Jack Davenport, This Life was the hit BBC series of the 90s about a group of young lawyers who shared a house and partied hard It was the massive TV drama that had everyone talking around the office water cooler back in the '90s - and now, three decades on, you can enjoy the action once more on Amazon Prime. This Life started in 1996 and spanned 33 episodes across just two series but was included on BFI's list of the 100 greatest British television programmes and has been hailed by fans as the 'best British TV drama ever'. The gritty BBC drama centres around a group of law graduates in their twenties, embarking upon their careers while sharing a house in south London. There are no courtroom scenes and instead the main focus is on their private lives which features everything from infidelity to addiction. Among the cast are Andrew Lincoln who's gone on to enjoy a huge career in Teachers, Afterlife, The Walking Dead and the movie Love, Actually. He will soon be seen in the new ITV series Coldwater. Co-star Jack Davenport has gone on to enjoy success in Matt Damon film The Talented Mr Ripley, Pirates of the Caribbean and TV series like Coupling and Smash. This Life features five main characters living under one roof - Edgar 'Egg' Cooke (Lincoln) and girlfriend Milly (Amita Dhiri) along with party girl Anna Forbes (Daniela Nardini), her university ex Myles Stewart (Davenport) and Welshman Warren Jones (Jason Hughes) who was dealing with his sexuality. The cast also features Ramon Tikaram (Virdie) as Ferdy, Natasha Little as Rachel, Steven John Shepherd (Karen Pirie) as Jo and Luisa Bradshaw-White (EastEnders) ad Kira. The show, which was created by Amy Jenkins, became a popular word-of-mouth hit and was included on BFI's list of the 100 greatest British television programmes. In 2007 there was a special episode, This Life: 10 Years On, which reunited the main cast and explored their lives a decade after the series ended. The special episode focusing on the death of Ferdy and the subsequent gathering of the other housemates pulled in 3.5 million viewers. Despite it being 30 years old and set in the days well before social media, fans are now enjoying streaming episodes and have been rushing to IMDb with their thoughts. One said: "I still hold firmly to the belief that the last episode of this landmark show is the best 40 mins of British TV drama ever. Any number of storylines coming sharply to a head, the terrific wedding reception with its toilet sex and terrible dancing, darkest secrets coming horrifyingly to light and the legendary punch. "But how sad! If we'd known then that there would never be another series we would have stormed the BBC ourselves. But think positive. The show is endlessly rewatchable, and its influence has lived on in Queer as Folk, Attachments, Teachers, Metropolis, Tinsel Town and most contemporary drama since. Just please, please publish the damn scripts!" Another said: "Move over Friends this is your more intelligent English big brother. A perfect picture of 90s London through the eyes of young professionals and ordinary blokes and girls. A few cheesy performances by Tikarum but it sort of worked at the time much like the Fonz worked in Happy days at the time. Not a poor performance from a rich cast that all went in to achieve memorable careers. This is a collectors piece for those who lived through and experienced the era in London. Nostalgic and immersive TV." A third added: "Watching This Life almost 30 years after its release is an interesting experience. Although its format has been much copied since the late 90s, it still retains the same freshness and vitality that made it such a captivating watch first time round. "The success of the series stems from the fact that it feels so real. Each of the characters is impressively three-dimensional, with both strengths and weaknesses. They're at that interesting stage of their lives where they're finding their way in the world while also trying to find themselves, and each of them makes some understandable mistakes along the way."


Edinburgh Live
29 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish BBC crime series brutally axed in huge blow to major actress
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The UK crime comedy Annika, starring Nicola Walker as DI Annika Strandhed at the helm of the new Marine Homicide Unit, has been cancelled after just two series on Alibi UK. Despite the second series setting records for Alibi UK when it debuted in August 2021, it's now been confirmed that the show will not continue. The second series recently arrived on BBC iPlayer, having first been broadcast on BBC One in May 2023. A spokesperson shared with "We are incredibly proud of the success of Annika on U+Alibi, but there are no current plans for a third series." The programme was notable for its distinctive approach, with Annika often breaking the fourth wall to engage directly with viewers as the plot unfolded. Nicola Walker, also celebrated for her roles in Spooks, Unforgotten, and The Split, had previously expressed her initial concerns about adapting the character for television. (Image: BBC/UKTV/Graeme Hunter) She said: "When he started discussing the television adaptation, my initial concern was how to bring to life a world that had previously existed solely within Annika's imagination." Annika was adapted from a BBC Radio 4 drama and featured scripts predominantly penned by Nick Walker, who aimed to transform viewers into a 'sidekick' for the detective through the unique storytelling approach of the series, reports the Mirror. (Image: Graeme Hunter Pictures) Nicola recalled in a PBS interview: "Nick said immediately, 'We're going to break the fourth wall!' So, she still has Norwegian heritage, she is still an outsider, and she still has a different way of coping with life and work, but the hook is the fact that this is the only detective series where the audience is the silent sidekick. We are in cahoots with her." Whilst the popular series was still being filmed, Nicola confessed that one aspect of the role that really appealed to her was the lack of 'subtext' for the character, which was a result of directly addressing the viewers. (Image: BBC) She explained: "With most characters there is so much subtext. But there is no subtext with Annika because the subtext is her talking directly to you and telling you what she feels. "By the end, we are going to know her as well as she knows herself. On the first day, I kept stopping and laughing. It felt so wrong. But by the end, I was so into it, I was flicking looks at the camera all the time. "I'm very worried about my next job now – 'Why does she keep looking down the lens? It might have ruined me for the future." Nicola has become a familiar face on British television due to her roles in a number of hard-hitting dramas. She made her debut in the early 1990s, but her career really took off when she starred in A Mother's Son in 2012 and subsequently played a leading role in Sally Wainwright's Last Tango In Halifax over an eight-year span. Following her roles in Scott and Bailey and Prisoner's Wives, Nicola Walker secured the lead role as DCI Cassie Stuart in the first four series of Unforgotten, which delved into the complexities of her character's personal life. In 2021, she starred in Annika, alongside a cast that included Jamie Sives and Katie Leung, before Varada Sethu, known for her work on Doctor Who, joined for what turned out to be the show's second and concluding series. However, for Nicola, this end comes just a short while after Disney+ confirmed her role in the upcoming comedy series Alice and Steve. Written by Sophie Goodhart, the series will see Nicola portraying Alice, whose lifelong friendship with Steve (played by Jemaine Clement) is put to the test when he begins a romance with her daughter. Discussing her latest venture, anticipated for a 2026 release on the streaming platform, Nicola expressed: "I'm thrilled to be stepping into the fabulous world of friendship, motherhood, marriage frantic revenge and fierce love that Sophie Goodhart has created, and to be doing it with Jemaine Clement is completely joyful!" Jemaine Clement also shared his enthusiasm, stating: "I really relate to Steve – he's classy, stylish and an all-round good guy – except for when he isn't. I'm excited to be working with the wonderful Nicola Walker and seeing how Steve and Alice's relationship descends into absolute chaos!" Annika currently airs on BBC One each Saturday from 21:00 and can be streamed via iPlayer.