BBC Proms

Annual classical music concerts in London

This article is about the British concerts. For other uses, see Prom (disambiguation).

Current BBC Proms logo, used from the 2022 Proms season Outside the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms season of 2008

The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the BBC has organised and broadcast The Proms. Each season consists of concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, chamber music concerts at Cadogan Hall (or occasionally other venues), additional Proms in the Park events across the UK on the Last Night of the Proms, and associated educational and children's events. Recently, concerts have been held in additional cities across different nations of the UK, as part of Proms Around the UK. [1][2] The season is a significant event in British culture and in classical music. Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek described the Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival".[3]

Prom is short for promenade concert, a term which originally referred to outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens, where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing. In the context of the BBC Proms, promming refers to the use of the standing areas inside the hall (the Arena and Gallery) for which ticket prices are much lower than for the seating. Proms concert-goers, particularly those who stand, are sometimes referred to as "Prommers" or "Promenaders".

## History

[edit]

A promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall, 2022

### Origins and Sir Henry Wood

[edit]

Promenade concerts had existed in London's pleasure gardens since the mid-18th century, and indoor proms became a feature of 19th century musical life in London from 1838, notably under the direction of Louis Antoine Jullien and Sir Arthur Sullivan.[4] The annual series of Proms continuing today had their roots in that movement. They were inaugurated on 10 August 1895 in the Queen's Hall in Langham Place by the impresario Robert Newman, who was fully experienced in running similar concerts at Her Majesty's Theatre.[5] Newman wished to generate a wider audience for concert hall music by offering low ticket prices and an informal atmosphere, where eating, drinking and smoking were permitted to the promenaders. He stated his aim to Henry Wood in 1894[6] as follows:

> I am going to run nightly concerts and train the public by easy stages. Popular at first, gradually raising the standard until I have created a public for classical and modern music.[7]

George Cathcart, an otolaryngologist, gave financial backing to Newman for the series (called "Mr Robert Newman's Promenade Concerts") on condition that Henry Wood be employed as the sole conductor.[8][9] Wood, aged 26, seized this opportunity and built the "Queen's Hall Orchestra" as the ensemble specially devoted to performing the promenade concerts.[10] Cathcart also stipulated (contrary to Newman's preference) the adoption of French or Open Diapason concert pitch, necessitating the acquisition of an entirely new set of wind instruments for the orchestra, and the re-tuning of the Queen's Hall organ. This coincided with the adoption of this lower pitch by other leading orchestras and concert series.[11] Although the concerts gained a popular following and reputation, Newman went bankrupt in 1902, and the banker Edgar Speyer took over the expense of funding them. Wood received a knighthood in 1911. In 1914 anti-German feeling led Speyer to surrender his role, and music publishers Chappell & Co. took control of the concerts.[12]

Although Newman remained involved in artistic planning, it was Wood's name which became most closely associated with the Proms.[13] As conductor from the first concert (which opened with Wagner's Rienzi overture) in 1895, Sir Henry was largely responsible for building the repertoire heard as the series continued from year to year. While including many popular and less demanding works, in the first season there were substantial nights devoted to Beethoven or Schubert, and a programme of new works was given in the final week. Distinguished singers including Sims Reeves and Signor Foli appeared. In the first two decades Wood firmly established the policy of introducing works by contemporary composers (both British and international) and of bringing fresh life to unperformed or under-performed works.[14] A bronze bust of Sir Henry Wood recovered from the ruins of the bombed-out Queen's Hall in 1941, and now belonging to the Royal Academy of Music,[15] is still placed in front of the organ for the whole Promenade season. Though the concerts are now called the BBC Proms, and are headlined with the BBC logo, the tickets are subtitled "BBC Music presents the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts".

Sir Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orchestra, rehearsing for the first Promenade Concert of the 1927 Season, from the BBC Hand Book 1928

In 1927, following Newman's sudden death in the previous year, the BBC – later based at Broadcasting House next to the hall – took over the running of the concerts.[16] This arose because William Boosey, then managing director of Chappell & Co. (the Prom. proprietors), detested broadcasting and saw the BBC's far-reaching demands and intentions in the control of musical presentation as a danger to the future of public concerts altogether. He decided to disband the New Queen's Hall Orchestra, which played for the last time at a Symphony concert on 19 March 1927. He found it more expedient to let the Queen's Hall to the broadcasting powers, rather than to continue the Promenade concerts and other big series independently in an unequal competition with what he saw as effectively the Government itself. So the Proms were saved, but under a different kind of authority. The personnel of the New Queen's Hall Orchestra effectively continued until 1930 as "Sir Henry J. Wood and his Symphony Orchestra".[17] When the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) was formed in 1930, it became the main orchestra for the concerts. At this time the season consisted of nights dedicated to particular composers; Mondays were Wagner, Fridays were Beethoven, with other major composers being featured on other days. There were no Sunday performances.

### During World War II

[edit]

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the BBC withdrew its support. However private sponsors stepped in to maintain the Proms, always under Sir Henry Wood's direction, until the Queen's Hall was devastated beyond repair during an air raid in May 1941. (The site is now occupied by the St George's Hotel and BBC Henry Wood House). The concerts then moved (until 1944) to their current home, the Royal Albert Hall, during the Promenade season presented by Keith Douglas in conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Society (of which he was Secretary).[18][19]

The London Symphony Orchestra had sometimes assisted in the series since (after 1927) the New Queen's Hall Orchestra had ceased to function, and in 1942 Sir Henry Wood also invited the London Philharmonic Orchestra under its new leader Jean Pougnet to participate in this and subsequent seasons.[20] In this he was attempting to maintain vigour in the programme, under the renewal of its relationship with the BBC as promoters. Sir Henry Wood continued his work with the Proms through vicissitudes with the BBC until his death in 1944, the year of his Jubilee Season.[21] During that period Sir Adrian Boult, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Basil Cameron also took on conducting duties for the series,[22] continuing them in 1944 when, under increased danger from bombing, they were moved again, this time to the Bedford Corn Exchange (home of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 1941) which hosted them until the end of the War.

### Post-war

[edit]

Sir Adrian Boult and Basil Cameron continued as conductors of the Promenade Concerts after the War, on their return to the Royal Albert Hall, until the advent of Malcolm Sargent as Proms chief conductor in 1947. Sargent held this post until 1966; his associate conductor from 1949 to 1959 was John Hollingsworth. Sargent was noted for his immaculate appearance (evening dress, carnation) and his witty addresses where he good-naturedly chided the noisy Prommers. Sir Malcolm championed choral music and classical and British composers, especially Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The charity founded in his name, CLIC Sargent, continues to hold a special Promenade Concert each year shortly after the main season ends. CLIC Sargent, the Musicians' Benevolent Fund and further musical charities (chosen each year) also benefit from thousands of pounds in donations from Prommers after most concerts. When asking for donations, Prommers from the Arena regularly announce to the audience the running donations total at concert intervals through the season, or before the concert when there is no interval.

After Wood's death, Julian Herbage acted as de facto principal administrator of the Proms for a number of years, as a freelance employee after his retirement from the BBC, with assistance from such staff as Edward Clark and Kenneth Wright.[23] During the tenure of William Glock as Controller of the Proms, from 1960 to 1973, the Proms repertory expanded both forwards in time, to encompass then contemporary and avant-garde composers such as Boulez, Berio, Carter, Dallapiccola, Peter Maxwell Davies, Gerhard, Henze, Ligeti, Lutosławski, Lutyens, Maw, Messiaen, Nono, Stockhausen, and Tippett, as well as backwards to include music by past composers such as Purcell, Cavalli, Monteverdi, Byrd, Palestrina, Dufay, Dunstaple, and Machaut, as well as less-often performed works of Johann Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn.[24] From the 1960s, the number of guest orchestras at the Proms also began to increase, with the first major international conductors (Leopold Stokowski, Georg Solti, and Carlo Maria Giulini) performing in 1963, and the first foreign orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing in 1966. Since that time, almost every major international orchestra, conductor and soloist has performed at the Proms. In 1970, Soft Machine's appearance led to press attention and comment as the first "pop" band to perform there.

The 1968 season began on a Friday night instead of the usual Saturday night. This concert marked a tribute to Sir Malcolm Sargent who had died shortly after delivering a brief speech from the rostrum at the Last Night in 1967. He had been too ill to actually conduct that concert. Every year since then, the Proms have always started on a Friday night in July.

### Since 1990

[edit]

The Proms continue today, and still present newly commissioned music alongside pieces more central to the repertoire and early music. Innovations continue, with pre-Prom talks, lunchtime chamber concerts, children's Proms, Proms in the Park either appearing, or being featured more heavily over the past few years. In the UK, all concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3, an increasing number are televised on BBC Four with some also shown on BBC One and BBC Two. The theme tune that used to be played at the beginning of each programme broadcast on television (until the 2011 season) was an extract from the end of the "Red" movement of Arthur Bliss's A Colour Symphony, in 2017 Anna Clyne's Masquerade (a Proms commission in 2013) and since 2019 an original theme by Ian Arber.[25] It is also possible to hear the concerts live from the BBC Proms website. The Last Night is also broadcast in many countries around the world.

In 1996, a related series of eight lunchtime chamber concerts was started, taking place on Mondays during the Proms season. In their first year these were held in the Britten Hall of the Royal College of Music (just across Prince Consort Road from the Albert Hall). The following year they moved slightly further afield, to the Henry Cole Lecture Theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 2005, they moved further again, to the new Cadogan Hall, just off London's Sloane Square. These allow the Proms to include music which is not suitable for the vast spaces of the Albert Hall.

From 1998 to 2007, the Blue Peter Prom, in partnership with long-running BBC television programme Blue Peter, was an annual fixture.[26] Aimed at children and families, the Prom is informal, including audience participation, jokes, and popular classics.[27] High demand for tickets – which are among the lowest priced in the season – saw this Prom split in 2004 into two Proms with identical content.[28] In 2008, the Blue Peter Prom was replaced with a Doctor Who Prom which was revived in both the 2010 and 2013 seasons.[29]

The 2004 season also featured the Hall's newly rebuilt pipe organ. It took two years to complete the task (2002–2004) and was the work of Noel Mander, Ltd., of London. It was the first complete restoration of the instrument since Harrison and Harrison's work in 1936.

The tradition of Promming remains an important aspect of the festival, with over 1000 standing places available for each concert, either in the central arena (rather like the groundlings in the pit at Shakespeare's Globe) or high in the hall's gallery. Promming tickets cost the same for all concerts (currently £8 as of 2023[30]), providing a considerably cheaper option for the more popular events. Since most promming tickets cannot be bought until 10:30am on the morning of the concert[31] (although there are full-season tickets and weekend passes available), they provide a way of attending otherwise sold-out concerts.[32][33]

In 2010, the Proms Archive was introduced on the BBC Proms webpage, to allow for a systematic searching of all works that have been performed and all artists who have appeared at the Proms since their inception. On 1 September 2011, a Prom given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was severely affected by interruptions from pro-Palestinian protesters.[34] While the Palestine Solidarity Campaign had urged a boycott, they denied being behind the disruption inside the Royal Albert Hall. For the first time ever, the BBC took a Prom concert off the air.[35]

Successive Controllers of the Proms after Glock have been Robert Ponsonby (1973–1985), John Drummond (1986–1995), Nicholas Kenyon (1996–2007), and Roger Wright (2007–2014). Between 1986 and 2014, the post of Director, BBC Proms had mostly been combined with the role of Controller, BBC Radio 3. Edward Blakeman, editor of BBC Radio 3, became interim Proms Director upon Wright's departure in July 2014.[36] In May 2015, the BBC announced the appointment of David Pickard as Director of BBC Proms,[37][38] in succession to Wright. In November 2023, the BBC announced that Pickard is to stand down as Proms Director after the 2024 season.[39] In February 2024, Sam Jackson became Director of The Proms.[40]

The Proms in 2022. Most people sit, while Promenaders stand in front of the orchestra. The bust of Sir Henry Wood can be seen in front of the organ.

## Last Night of the Proms

[edit]

The Last Night of the Proms celebrates British tradition with patriotic music of the United Kingdom.[41][42]

Many people's perception of the Proms is based on the Last Night, although this is very different from the other concerts. It usually takes place on the second Saturday in September, and is broadcast in the UK on BBC Radio 3, and on television on BBC Two (first half) and BBC One (second half). The concert is traditionally in a lighter, 'winding-down' vein, with popular classics followed by a second half of British patriotic pieces. This sequence traditionally includes Edward Elgar's "Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1" (to part of which "Land of Hope and Glory" is sung) and Henry Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs", followed by Thomas Arne's "Rule, Britannia!". The concert concludes with Hubert Parry's "Jerusalem", and the British national anthem, since 2010 in an arrangement by Benjamin Britten. The repeat of the Elgar march at the Last Night can be traced to the spontaneous audience demand for a double encore after its premiere at a 1901 Proms concert.[43] The closing sequence of the second half became fully established in 1954 during Sargent's tenure as chief conductor.[44] The Prommers have made a tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne" after the end of the concert, but this was not included in the programme until 2015. However, when James Loughran, a Scot, conducted the Last Night concert in the late 1970s and early 1980s he did include the piece within the programme.

Tickets are highly sought-after. Promming tickets are priced the same as for that season's concerts, but seated tickets are more expensive. To pre-book a seat, an initial selection is released to winners of a ballot open to those who have booked five or more Prom concerts, and in 2023 there was also an advance sale to those who had seats booked for the cancelled 2022 event. After the advance-booking period, there is no requirement to have booked for additional concerts, but by then the Last Night is mostly sold out, although returns may be available. For standing places, a full season pass automatically includes admission to the Last Night; some day Prommers can get limited tickets available on various dates by presenting five ticket-stubs from previous concerts, either in the Arena or Gallery (prior to 2009, the requirement was for six other concerts) but most day Promming tickets are open to everyone on the morning of the concert, whether they have booked before or not. [45] In the post-war period, with the growing popularity of the Last Night, the only way to obtain tickets was through a postal ballot held well-in-advance.

Prommers with tickets are likely to queue up much earlier than usual (many overnight, and in past years, some slept outside the hall for up to three weeks to guard their place – although this is no longer permitted) to ensure a good place to stand; the resulting camaraderie adds to the atmosphere. Some attend in fancy dress, from dinner jackets to patriotic T-shirts. Many use the occasion for an exuberant display of Britishness. Union Flags are waved by the Prommers, especially during "Rule, Britannia!". Other national flags, balloons, and party poppers are all welcomed – although John Drummond discouraged 'extraneous noise' during his tenure as director.

Sir Henry Wood's bust is adorned with a laurel chaplet by representatives of the Promenaders, who often wipe an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead or make some similar gentle, visual joke. As with the rest of the season, the cost of promming tickets (standing tickets) is just £8. Many consider these to be the best tickets due to the atmosphere of standing in the hall for up to three hours; albeit with a twenty-five minute interval.

Another tradition is that near the end of the concert the conductor makes a speech thanking the musicians and audiences, mentioning the main themes of the season, noting the cumulative donation collected for the Promenaders' musical charities over the season, and announcing the date of the First Night for the following year. This tradition dates from 1941, when Sir Henry Wood gave the first such speech at the close of that season, which was the first at the Royal Albert Hall, when he thanked colleagues and sponsors. Wood gave a similar speech at the 1942 Last Night, and a pre-recorded version was played at the 1943 Last Night. During his tenure as conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent established the tone of making the Last Night speech more humorous. Subsequent conductors have generally continued this, although one exception was in 1997 when Sir Andrew Davis addressed the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, Mother Teresa, and Sir Georg Solti in 1997.[46]

Leonard Slatkin, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2004, expressed a desire to tone down the nationalism of the Last Night, and during the seasons from 2002 until 2007 "Rule Britannia" was only heard as part of Henry Wood's '"Fantasia on British Sea Songs" (another piece traditional to the Last Night) rather than separately. Slatkin, an American and the first non-Commonwealth citizen to lead the Last Night, conducted his first in 2001, just days after the 9/11 attacks. The atmosphere was more restrained and less festive than normal, with a heavily revised programme where the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony replaced the "Sea Songs", and Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" was performed in tribute to 9/11 victims.[47]

On the day of the 2005 Last Night, the hall management received word of a bomb threat, which led to a thorough search of the Albert Hall for 5 hours, but the concert took place after a short delay. This has led to increased security concerns, given the stature of the Last Night in British culture, which Jacqui Kelly of the Royal Albert Hall staff noted:

> That was quite a nerve-wracker – our biggest event, the one everybody knows the Albert Hall for, and we were in real danger of losing it. We're an iconic thing, up there in the public eye, so we have to expect that.[48]

2008 also contained some departures from the traditional programme. "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1" was moved to after the conductor's speech. In addition, most of Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs" was replaced by Vaughan Williams's Sea Songs as a final tribute in his anniversary year. However, Wood's arrangements of naval bugle calls from the start of the "Fantasia" were retained, and Sargent's arrangement of "Rule Britannia" returned with Bryn Terfel as soloist. As on his 1994 Last Night appearance,[49] he sang one verse in a Welsh translation, with the chorus also translated into Welsh. Additionally, 2008 saw the inclusion of Scottish composer Anna Meredith to the programme for her Proms premiere, froms, which involved five different groups of musicians telecasting in from around Britain.[50]

2009 saw the continued absence of Wood's Sea Songs, this time replaced by specially commissioned fanfares, and extracts from Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks".[51][52] In 2009, for the first time, the Last Night was shown live in several cinemas across Asia and in Canada and Australia.[53]

In 2016, anti-Brexit protestors waved EU flags in addition to the usual Union Jack flags.[54] The protests have continued in subsequent years.[55] In 2020, the concert was performed to an empty hall, due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in the UK.[56] Two years later, in 2022, the concert was cancelled 48 hours before it was scheduled to happen, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the first Last Night cancellation since 1944. Dalia Stasevska had been selected to conduct. Stasevska returned to conduct the First Night in 2023, while Marin Alsop conducted the Last Night. This marked the first time that the BBC Proms had female conductors open and close the season.[57] As a result of the cancellation, the date for the First Night of the 2023 Proms wasn't announced until April 2023.

### Last Night conductors

[edit]

The following table lists by year the conductors of the Last Night of the Proms. In general, since the tenure of Sargent, the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra has led this concert, but guest conductors have directed the Last Night on several occasions. Additionally, the tradition was for a British conductor, and if not the current serving Chief Conductor, one who had an association with the BBC Symphony Orchestra or one of the other BBC orchestras. Charles Mackerras was the first non-British-born conductor to lead the Last Night, in 1980. Leonard Slatkin was the first American conductor of the Last Night in 2001. Jiří Bělohlávek was the first non-native English speaker to conduct the Last Night, in 2007. Marin Alsop was the Last Night's first female conductor in 2013.[58]

Conductor | Last Night(s) ...[a]

|

19th c.–1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
Henry Wood[b] | 1895–1938, 1941–1943[a] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sir Adrian Boult | 1945, 1946[c][d]
Basil Cameron | 1945[e]
Constant Lambert
Sir Malcolm Sargent | 1947–1966
Colin Davis[f] |  | 1967–1972
Norman Del Mar[g] |  | 1973, 1975 | 1983[c]
Sir Charles Groves[h] | 1974, 1976, 1978[c] |
James Loughran[g] | 1977, 1979 | 1981, 1982, 1984[c]
Sir Charles Mackerras[d] |  | 1980[c]
Vernon Handley | 1985[c]
Raymond Leppard[h] | 1986[c]
Mark Elder[i] | 1987[c] | 2006[c]
Sir Andrew Davis[j] | 1988[c] | 1990[k]–1992, 1994–1999 | 2000[c] | 2018[l]
Sir John Pritchard | 1989  |  |  |
Barry Wordsworth[d] |  | 1993[c]
Leonard Slatkin |  | 2001–2004
Paul Daniel | 2005[c]
Jiří Bělohlávek | 2007 | 2010, 2012
Sir Roger Norrington | 2008[c] |
David Robertson | 2009[c][m]
Edward Gardner |  | 2011[c]
Marin Alsop | 2013, 2015[c] | 2023
Sakari Oramo[61] | 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019  | 2021, 2024
Dalia Stasevska[56] |  | 2020[c], ~~2022~~

1. ^ a b The 1939 season was curtailed by the outbreak of war, and the 1940 season by German bombing, meaning that there was no official "Last Night". Only the first few concerts were held in public in 1944 due to renewed bombing. Wood died shortly before what should have been the end of the 1944 season.[59] The 2022 season was curtailed by the death of Elizabeth II, meaning that there was no official "Last Night" for that year
2. ^ Sir Henry from 1911 onwards
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Duties undertaken as Guest Conductor, rather than as resident Chief Conductor, BBC Symphony Orchestra
4. ^ a b c Former Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra
5. ^ Constant Lambert, Basil Cameron and Sir Adrian Boult jointly undertook proceedings upon the return in 1945
6. ^ Later Sir Colin
7. ^ a b Former Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
8. ^ a b Former Principal Conductor of the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra (later the BBC Philharmonic)
9. ^ Later Sir Mark
10. ^ Sir Andrew from 1999 onwards[60]
11. ^ replacing Mark Elder
12. ^ Davis is currently Conductor Laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, having served as Chief Conductor from 1989 to 2000.
13. ^ Robertson was Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC SO from 2005 to 2012

## Proms in the Park

[edit]

The Royal Albert Hall could be filled many times over with people who would wish to attend. To involve extra people, and to cater for those who are not near London, the Proms in the Park concerts were started in 1996. Initially there was one, in Hyde Park adjacent to the Hall, which was a simple video relay of the concert at the Royal Albert Hall. As audiences grew, Proms in the Park started to have musicians of their own on stage, including the BBC Concert Orchestra.[62]

In the 2000s, Proms in the Park started to be held in other locations across the UK, usually with one of the BBC's orchestras playing. In 2005, Belfast, Glasgow, Swansea and Manchester hosted a Last Night Prom in the Park, broadcast live from each venue. In 2007 Manchester's prom was replaced by one in Middlesbrough. In 2008 the number reduced from five to four, in Hyde Park, Belfast, Glasgow and Swansea. 2009 returned to a total of five, in Hyde Park, Glasgow, Swansea, County Down and Salford. Each location has its own live concert, typically playing the national anthem of the host country, before joining in a live big screen video link up with the Royal Albert Hall for the traditional finale.

In later years Proms in the Park became a series of established events in their own right, with events in Hyde Park and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, managed by BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland respectively, in conjunction with the host local authority. Each event has a presenting team, a live orchestra, a video link to the Last Night of the Proms in London, and guest soloists and choirs. Events tend to move to different cities to cover a wider geographical area within the host nations.

All of these events were incorporated within BBC One's live coverage of the Last Night of the Proms, with live link-ups to each of the venues. However, some more traditional elements of the Last Night of the Proms (such as "Jerusalem", "Rule Britannia" and "Land of Hope and Glory") were removed on some years depending on local politics.[63][64]

As the popularity of Proms in the Park grew, many communities across the UK decided to hold their own "Proms in the Park" events that were not affiliated with the BBC. The last official Proms in the Park took place in 2019, and no plans for its return have been announced.

Year  | BBC Concert Orchestra | BBC National Orchestra
and Chorus of Wales | BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra | Ulster Orchestra | BBC Philharmonic (P)
Halle Orchestra (H)
Northern Sinfonia (NS)

|
|
|
|
|

1996[65] | Hyde Park, London  |  |  |  |
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001  | Music Centre Gateshead[66] (NS)
2002[67] | Belfast[68]
2003[69] | Singleton Park, Swansea | Pacific Quay, Glasgow  | Donegal Square, Belfast  |
2004[70] | Cathedral Gardens, Manchester (H)
2005  | Glasgow Green | Belfast City Hall  | Heaton Park, Manchester[71] (P)
2006
2007[72] | Carrickfergus Castle  | Centre Square, Middlesbrough (NS)
2008[73] | Belfast City Hall[74] |
2009[75] | Hillsborough Castle, County Down[76] | Buile Hill Park, Salford[77][78] (P)
2010  | Caird Hall, Dundee[79][80]
2011  | Caerphilly Castle | Castle Park, Bangor[81] |
2012[82] | Glasgow City Halls  | Titanic Slipways, Belfast
2013  | Glasgow Green
2014  | Singleton Park, Swansea
2015[83]
2016  | Colwyn Bay
2017  | Singleton Park, Swansea  | Castle Coole, Enniskillen[84]
2018  | Colwyn Bay[85] | Titanic Slipways, Belfast
2019[86] | Singleton Park, Swansea
2020  | No public events due to COVID-19. A small invited audience watched the Last Night from London.
2021  | No public events scheduled due to COVID-19. There was a live link-up to Assembly Festival Garden, Coventry.
2022  | No public events due to the Queen's death and the subsequent cancellation of the Last Night of the Proms.
2023  | No public events scheduled.

The first live relays outside of London were to Swansea and Birmingham in 1999.[87]

In 2001, there were also live link-ups to Cornwall and Liverpool.

In 2011, Caerphilly's Proms in the Park was cancelled before the concert started due to heavy rainfall[88]

## Proms seasons

[edit]

No | Season | Start date (1st night) | End date (Last night) | Location | No of Proms

|
|
|
|
|

1 | 1895 | Saturday 10 August | Saturday 5 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
2 | 1896 | Saturday 29 August | Saturday 10 October | Queen's Hall, London | 37
3 | 1897 | Saturday 28 August | Saturday 9 October | Queen's Hall, London | 43
4 | 1898 | Saturday 27 August | Saturday 15 October | Queen's Hall, London | 43
5 | 1899 | Saturday 26 August | Saturday 21 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
6 | 1900 | Saturday 25 August | Saturday 10 October | Queen's Hall, London | 67
7 | Summer 1901 | Saturday 24 August | Saturday 9 October | Queen's Hall, London | 67
7a | Winter 1901/02 | Saturday 26 December | Saturday 1 February | Queen's Hall, London | 33
8 | 1902 | Saturday 23 August | Saturday 8 November | Queen's Hall, London | 67
9 | 1903 | Saturday 22 August | Friday 23 October | Queen's Hall, London | 54
10 | 1904 | Saturday 6 August | Friday 21 October | Queen's Hall, London | 66
11 | 1905 | Saturday 19 August | Friday 27 October | Queen's Hall, London | 60
12 | 1906 | Saturday 18 August | Friday 26 October | Queen's Hall, London | 60
13 | 1907 | Saturday 17 August | Saturday 26 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
14 | 1908 | Saturday 15 August | Saturday 24 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
15 | 1909 | Saturday 14 August | Saturday 23 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
16 | 1910 | Saturday 13 August | Saturday 22 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
17 | 1911 | Saturday 12 August | Saturday 21 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
18 | 1912 | Saturday 17 August | Saturday 26 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
19 | 1913 | Saturday 16 August | Saturday 25 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
20 | 1914 | Saturday 15 August | Saturday 24 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
21 | 1915 | Saturday 14 August | Saturday 23 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
22 | 1916 | Saturday 26 August | Saturday 21 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
23 | 1917 | Saturday 25 August | Saturday 20 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
24 | 1918 | Saturday 11 August | Saturday 19 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
25 | 1919 | Saturday 16 August | Saturday 25 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
26 | 1920 | Saturday 14 August | Saturday 23 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
27 | 1921 | Saturday 13 August | Saturday 22 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
28 | 1922 | Saturday 12 August | Saturday 21 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
29 | 1923 | Saturday 11 August | Saturday 20 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
30 | 1924 | Saturday 9 August | Saturday 18 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
31 | 1925 | Saturday 8 August | Saturday 17 October | Queen's Hall, London | 61
32 | 1926 | Saturday 14 August | Saturday 16 October | Queen's Hall, London | 55
33 | 1927 | Saturday 13 August | Saturday 24 October | Queen's Hall, London | 37
34 | 1928 | Saturday 11 August | Saturday 6 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
35 | 1929 | Saturday 10 August | Saturday 5 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
36 | 1930 (Northern) | Monday 26 May | Saturday 21 June | Free Trade Hall, Manchester
Philharmonic, Liverpool
Town Hall, Leeds | 24
36a | 1930 (London) | Saturday 9 August | Saturday 4 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
37 | 1931 | Saturday 8 August | Saturday 3 October | Queen's Hall, London | 48
38 | Summer 1932 | Saturday 6 August | Saturday 1 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
38a | Winter 1932/33 | Saturday 31 December | Saturday 14 February | Queen's Hall, London | 13
39 | 1933 | Saturday 12 August | Saturday 7 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
40 | Summer 1934 | Saturday 11 August | Saturday 6 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
40a | Winter 1934/35 | Monday 31 December | Saturday 12 January | Queen's Hall, London | 12
41 | Summer 1935 | Saturday 10 August | Saturday 5 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
41a | Winter 1935/36 | Monday 30 December | Saturday 11 January | Queen's Hall, London | 12
42 | 1936 | Saturday 8 August | Saturday 3 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
43 | 1937 | Saturday 7 August | Saturday 2 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
44 | 1938 | Saturday 6 August | Saturday 1 October | Queen's Hall, London | 49
45 | 1939 | Saturday 12 August | Friday 1 September | Queen's Hall, London | 17.5[a]
46 | 1940 | Saturday 10 August | Saturday 7 September | Queen's Hall, London | 25[b]
47 | 1941 | Saturday 12 July | Saturday 23 August | Royal Albert Hall, London | 37
48 | 1942 | Saturday 27 June | Saturday 22 August | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
49 | 1943 | Saturday 19 June | Saturday 21 August | Royal Albert Hall, London | 55
50 | 1944 | Saturday 10 June | Thursday 29 June | Royal Albert Hall, London | 17[c]
51 | 1945 | Saturday 21 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
52 | 1946 | Saturday 27 July | Saturday 21 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
52a | Winter 1947 | Monday 6 January | Saturday 18 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
53 | Summer 1947 | Saturday 19 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
53a | Winter 1948 | Monday 5 January | Saturday 17 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
54 | Summer 1948 | Saturday 24 July | Saturday 18 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
54a | Winter 1949 | Monday 10 January | Saturday 22 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
55 | Summer 1949 | Saturday 23 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
55a | Winter 1950 | Monday 9 January | Saturday 21 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
56 | Summer 1950 | Saturday 22 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
56a | Winter 1951 | Monday 8 January | Saturday 20 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
57 | Summer 1951 | Saturday 28 July | Saturday 22 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
58 | Winter 1952 | Monday 7 January | Saturday 19 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 12
58a | 1952 | Saturday 26 July | Saturday 20 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
59 | 1953 | Saturday 25 July | Saturday 19 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
60 | 1954 | Saturday 24 July | Saturday 18 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
61 | 1955 | Saturday 23 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
62 | 1956 | Saturday 21 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
63 | 1957 | Saturday 20 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
64 | 1958 | Saturday 26 July | Saturday 20 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
65 | 1959 | Saturday 25 July | Saturday 19 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
66 | 1960 | Saturday 23 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
67 | 1961 | Saturday 22 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
68 | 1962 | Saturday 21 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
69 | 1963 | Saturday 20 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
70 | 1964 | Saturday 25 July | Saturday 19 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
71 | 1965 | Saturday 17 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 49
72 | 1966 | Saturday 23 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 50
73 | 1967 | Saturday 22 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 51
74 | 1968 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 52
75 | 1969 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 52
76 | 1970 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 53
77 | 1971 | Friday 23 July | Saturday 18 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 54
78 | 1972 | Friday 21 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 57
78a | Winter 1972/73 | Friday 29 December | Friday 5 January | Royal Albert Hall, London | 8
79 | 1973 | Friday 20 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 55
80 | 1974 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 55
81 | 1975 | Friday 25 July | Saturday 20 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 57
82 | 1976 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 56
83 | 1977 | Friday 22 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 55
84 | 1978 | Friday 21 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 55
85 | 1979 | Friday 20 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 54
86 | 1980 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 57
87 | 1981 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 56
88 | 1982 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 57
89 | 1983 | Friday 22 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 57
90 | 1984 | Friday 20 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 59
91 | 1985 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 60
92 | 1986 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 60
93 | 1987 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 66
94 | 1988 | Friday 22 July | Saturday 17 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 69
95 | 1989 | Friday 21 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 68
96 | 1990 | Friday 20 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 66
97 | 1991 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 67
98 | 1992 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 66
99 | 1993 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 67
100 | 1994 | Friday 15 July | Saturday 10 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 68
101 | 1995 | Friday 21 July | Saturday 16 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 70
102 | 1996 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 72
103 | 1997 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
104 | 1998 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
105 | 1999 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 72
106 | 2000 | Friday 14 July | Saturday 9 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 72
107 | 2001 | Friday 20 July | Saturday 15 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
108 | 2002 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
109 | 2003 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
110 | 2004 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 74
111 | 2005 | Friday 15 July | Saturday 10 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 74
112 | 2006 | Friday 14 July | Saturday 9 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 73
113 | 2007 | Friday 13 July | Saturday 8 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 72
114 | 2008 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
115 | 2009 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
116 | 2010 | Friday 16 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
117 | 2011 | Friday 15 July | Saturday 10 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 74
118 | 2012 | Friday 13 July | Saturday 8 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
119 | 2013 | Friday 12 July | Saturday 7 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 75
120 | 2014 | Friday 18 July | Saturday 13 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
121 | 2015 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 76
122 | 2016 | Friday 15 July | Saturday 10 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 75
123 | 2017 | Friday 14 July | Saturday 9 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 75
124 | 2018 | Friday 13 July | Saturday 8 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 75
125 | 2019 | Friday 19 July | Saturday 14 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 75
126 | 2020 | Friday 17 July | Saturday 12 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 15[d]
127 | 2021 | Friday 30 July | Saturday 11 September | Royal Albert Hall, London | 61
128 | 2022 | Friday 15 July | Thursday 8 September (de facto)
Saturday 10 September (de jure) | Royal Albert Hall, London | 69[e]
129  | 2023  | Friday 14 July  | Saturday 9 September  | Royal Albert Hall, London  | 71
130  | 2024  | Friday 19 July  | Saturday 14 September  | Royal Albert Hall, London  | 73

1. ^ The second half of concert 18 and the remaining 31 concerts (19–49) of the 1939 season (Saturday 2 September to Saturday 7 October) were cancelled after the United Kingdom received the news of the outbreak of World War II
2. ^ Concerts 26–49 of the 1940 season (Saturday 8 September to Saturday 5 October) were cancelled due to intensified nightly air raids during World War II
3. ^ Concerts 18–55 (Friday 30 June to Saturday 12 August) of the 1944 season were cancelled due to V-1 flying bombs ("Doodle Bugs") which had started to fall on London during World War II
4. ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first 60 concerts (comprising the first six weeks of the season) were cancelled after plans to hold the concerts without an audience became financially unfeasible. During the first six weeks, concerts from previous seasons of the BBC Proms were shown on BBC Television; the final two weeks of the season were broadcast as scheduled live from London's Royal Albert Hall without an audience.[89]
5. ^ The last three concerts, including the Last Night, were cancelled following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. However, on 8 September (the de facto Last Night of the Proms), when the Philadelphia Orchestra was about to perform the 70th Prom before being cancelled, out of respect for the Queen, they played the national anthem (Henry Wood's arrangement) and "Nimrod" from the Enigma Variations.

## Proms Controllers

[edit]

* William Glock (1960–1973)
* Robert Ponsonby (1973–1985)
* John Drummond (1986–1995)
* Nicholas Kenyon (1996–2007)
* Roger Wright (2007–2014)
* Edward Blakeman (interim Director; 2014–2015)
* David Pickard (2015–2024)[38]

## See also

[edit]

* BBC portal

* BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms
* List of music festivals in the United Kingdom

## References

[edit]

1. ^ \- Proms Around the UK Events, BBC, 2024. BBC, 15 September 2024.
2. ^ \- The BBC Proms 2024: Everything you need to know about the world’s greatest classical music festival, BBC Media Centre, 26 April 2024. BBC, 15 September 2024.
3. ^ 2007 Last Night of the Proms speech, Jiří Bělohlávek, 8 September 2007. Daily Kos, 3 November 2007.
4. ^ Robert Elkin, Queen's Hall, 1893–1941 (Rider & Co, London 1944), pp. 25–6.
5. ^ Henry J. Wood, My Life of Music (Victor Gollancz, London, First edition 1938, cheap edition 1946), 1946, p. 68.
6. ^ Wood, 1946, p. 68.
7. ^ Ivan Hewett (12 July 2007). "The Proms and the Promenerders". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 July 2008.[dead link]
8. ^ Peter Mullen (21 July 1995). "Everyone knows Henry Wood set up the Proms. But who remembers the man who hired him to do it?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
9. ^ John Smith (18 April 2010). "Encore for the Proms". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
10. ^ Wood 1946, pp. 68–84.
11. ^ Wood 1946, pp. 69–71, 73.
12. ^ Jacobs, Arthur (2004). "Wood, Sir Henry Joseph (1869–1944)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37001. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
13. ^ In a BBC interview recorded on 23 August 1941, introducing Sir Henry Wood, W. W. Thompson, the orchestral manager, remarked, "There's only one man to speak for the Proms, for he is the Proms. That's Sir Henry Wood. Would you live them over again, Sir Henry?" (Henry Wood): "Every day and every hour." (Thompson): "All those five thousand concerts?" (Henry Wood): "Every one of them." R. Elkin, Queen's Hall 1893–1941 (Rider & Co., London 1944), Transcript pp. 138–46, at p. 143.
14. ^ For a list of Wood's principal 'novelties' from 1895 to 1937, see Wood 1946, pp. 353–372.
15. ^ "Sir Henry Wood Collection". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
16. ^ "Symphony concerts" (PDF). BBC Hand Book 1929. BBC. 1928. pp. 71–72.
17. ^ Elkin 1944, p. 33, quoting from W. Boosey, Fifty Years of Music (Ernest Benn Limited, London 1931), at pp. 177–78. The title "Queen's Hall Orchestra2 was briefly revived in 1935 and 1936 for some recordings and a series of Sunday Concerts.
18. ^ Thomas Russell, Philharmonic Decade (Hutchinson & Co, London, New York, Melbourne & Sydney [1944]), pp. 97–8.
19. ^ Further details of Wood's sometimes difficult relations with Keith Douglas and with the BBC are given in Reginald Pound, Sir Henry Wood: A Biography (Cassell, London 1969).
20. ^ Russell, Philharmonic Decade, pp. 97–8, 112.
21. ^ In 1944 an article in The Times commented, "The Proms. as we know them are Sir Henry Wood's creation, and in their unbroken though slightly war-damaged career of 48 years they have depended on him through all vicissitudes of taste, finance, personnel, and management." (quoted in) Elkin (1944), p. 37.
22. ^ Russell ([1944]), p. 112.
23. ^ Doctor, Jenny (2008). "The Parataxis of "British Musical Modernism"". The Musical Quarterly. 91 (1–2): 89–115. doi:10.1093/musqtl/gdn031.
24. ^ Bayan Northcott. "Small ripples in a calm sea: As the 100th season of Henry Wood Proms sails into port, Bayan Northcott wonders if the programming is running out of steam". The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
25. ^ "BBC Proms theme tune: who wrote it and what is it?". Radio Times. 21 July 2022.
26. ^ BBC Proms Guide 2007. BBC. 2007. ISBN 978-1-84607-256-7.
27. ^ Lasserson, David (27 July 2004). "Blue Peter Proms". The Guardian. UK.
28. ^ BBC Press Office (1 July 2004). "Blue Peter presenters perform at the Proms". Retrieved 1 September 2007.
29. ^ Fisher, Neil. "The Proms have been innovating ever since 1895". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
30. ^ "The BBC Proms season has been announced, but how do I buy tickets? | Royal Albert Hall". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
31. ^ "Day Promming | Royal Albert Hall". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
32. ^ "What is promming?". BBC. 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
33. ^ "How to book/buy tickets". BBC. 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
34. ^ Andrew Hough and Andy Bloxham "Proms: Palestinian protest at Royal Albert Hall forces BBC to abandon live broadcast", The Daily Telegraph, 2 September 2011
35. ^ Marcus Dysch "Anti-Israel protesters disrupt BBC Proms", The Jewish Chronicle, 2 September 2011
36. ^ Andrew Clements (17 July 2014). "Start of Proms marks end of Roger Wright's tenure as director". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
37. ^ "David Pickard named as Director, BBC Proms" (Press release). BBC. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
38. ^ a b John Plunkett (26 May 2015). "Glyndebourne chief David Pickard to head BBC Proms". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
39. ^ "David Pickard to step down as Director of the BBC Proms" (Press release). BBC. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
40. ^ Charlotte Higgins (26 February 2024). "'A James Bond night? Absolutely!' Radio 3 boss Sam Jackson reveals his big shakeup". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
41. ^ "The Last Night". BBC Proms website. BBC. 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
42. ^ Hamilton, James (2008). "Last Night of the Proms brought to a rousing finale with patriotic splendour". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
43. ^ Colin Matthews. "The evolution of the Proms". The Times Literary Supplement. London. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
44. ^ Cannadine, David (May 2008). "The 'Last Night of the Proms' in historical perspective". Historical Research. 81 (212): 315–349. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.2008.00466.x.
45. ^ "BBC Proms 2023 FAQs". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
46. ^ Robert Cowan/Edward Seckerson (15 September 1997). "Last Saturday saw the Last Night of the Proms and the first night of the Royal Opera's exile at the Barbican. Robert Cowan and Edward Seckerson were at the respective venues...". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
47. ^ Andrew Clements (17 September 2001). "Prom 72/ Last Night of the Proms". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
48. ^ Michael Church (28 August 2006). "How to put on a Prom". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
49. ^ Teldec 4509-97868-2 CD, "Last Night of the Proms (The 100th Season)", 1994.
50. ^ Hewitt, Ivan (11 September 2008). "Anna Meredith: Daring, Challenging - and a Recipe for Chaos". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
51. ^ "Prom 76: Last Night of the Proms". BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
52. ^ Roger Wright. "About the Proms / Questions to Roger Wright—Last Night of the Proms & Sea Shanties (Archived)". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009.
53. ^ "Last Night of the Proms to go live at cinemas worldwide". The Guardian. London. Press Association. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
54. ^ "EU flags waved at Last Night of the Proms in anti-Brexit protest". The Guardian. Press Association. 10 September 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
55. ^ Sherwin, Adam (8 September 2018). "Last Night of the Proms to be flooded with 20,000 EU flags in anti-Brexit protest". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
56. ^ a b "Subdued Proms concludes after Rule, Britannia! row". BBC News. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
57. ^ Tilden, Imogen (20 April 2023). "Female conductors to open and close BBC Proms for first time". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
58. ^ "BBC Proms appoints first female director for Last Night". BBC News. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
59. ^ "Discover the secret history of the BBC Proms". royalalberthall.com. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
60. ^ "The Gazette (London Gazette supplement), issue 55354" (PDF). www.thegazette.co.uk. The Stationery Office. 30 December 1998.
61. ^ "Proms 76: Last Night of the Proms". BBC. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
62. ^ "Proms in the Park, Hyde Park". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
63. ^ "BBC: Belfast Proms in Park is 'different concert' to Royal Albert Hall". www.newsletter.co.uk. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
64. ^ Akerstedt, Ida (12 September 2017). "'Pandering to separatists' BBC under fire as Scots DENIED patriotic British songs at Proms". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
65. ^ "Arts: Proms in the Park: for the first time. Tonight's the night...". The Independent. 14 September 1996. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
66. ^ "Albert Hall link with Last Night of the Proms". The Northern Echo. 4 May 2001. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
67. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Proms 2002". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
68. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Last Night of the Proms". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
69. ^ "BBC Proms in the Park Feeds 40,000 with Martin Line Array - ETNow.com". www.etnow.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
70. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Corrs at Proms in the Park". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
71. ^ "BBC - Manchester - Entertainment - BBC Proms in the Park". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
72. ^ "BBC - Press Office - BBC Proms 2007: BBC Proms In The Park". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
73. ^ "BBC - Press Office - BBC Proms 2008: BBC Proms In The Park". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
74. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Belfast Proms In The Park 2008". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
75. ^ "2009, Proms in the Park - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
76. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - BBC Proms, 2010, Proms in the Park, County Down, Part One". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
77. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - BBC Proms, 2010, Proms in the Park, Salford, Part One". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
78. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - BBC Proms, 2009, Proms in the Park, Salford, Part One". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
79. ^ "BBC Two - Proms in the Park, 2011, Last Night at the Proms: Scotland". BBC. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
80. ^ "City reclaims Proms in the Park". 18 April 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
81. ^ "BBC - Thousands flock to BBC Proms in the Park in Bangor - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
82. ^ "BBC Proms in the Park London". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
83. ^ "Proms in the Park, Hyde Park". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
84. ^ "BBC Proms in the Park Northern Ireland". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
85. ^ Patrick Glover (26 April 2018). "BBC's Proms in the Park to return to Colwyn Bay". North Wales Pioneer. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
86. ^ BBC Proms - 2019: 1. The Last Night of the Proms from around the UK, retrieved 2 October 2019
87. ^ Gibbons, Fiachra; Correspondent, Arts (30 April 1999). "Rule Britannia pipes down as Celtic voice rises to take stage at the proms". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 March 2019. `{{cite news}}`: `|last2=` has generic name (help)
88. ^ "BBC Proms in the Park cancelled after torrential rain in Caerphilly". Caerphilly Observer. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
89. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - BBC Proms - What's on - Listen & Watch".

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* BBC Proms at BBC Online
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* Last night of the Proms 2016

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