BBC Proms set to go ahead in 2021

The BBC Proms will return this year, hopefully with a live audience.

The internationally renowned classical music festival is scheduled to run from 30 July to 11 September 2021 and will be shown on TV, radio and online.

The organisers confirmed that they hope to once again open up the festival to a live audience if they are permitted to do so.

The announcement was made to coincide with the 150th birthday of the Royal Albert Hall, which was officially opened by Queen Victoria on this day (29 March) in 1871 in honour of her husband, the late Prince Albert.

“As the Hall marks its 150th birthday, we hope to welcome live audiences back to our glorious home this summer, in line with government guidance. Further details to be announced soon,” said the BBC Proms team.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Proms season was a predominantly online event, consisting mainly of highlights from the BBC archive along with two weeks of live shows played to an empty auditorium for the first time in Proms history.

The current plan from the UK government for easing lockdown restrictions involves the lifting of legal limits on social contact and the re-opening of nightclubs and large events rom 21 June. However, the roadmap is contingent on the vaccination program continuing to drive down Covid cases and hospitalisations sufficiently. 

If this is achieved, then the BBC Proms should be able to return with a live audience, though it’s possible there will still be extra safety measures in place.