The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall is one of the most anticipated classical music events of the year, running from 17th July to 14th September. Here’s my curated guide for each week to help you make the most of this musical extravaganza. Tickets go on sale on Saturday 18th May at BST 9 am so don’t forget to get your tickets.
Week 1: A Bright Start
Prom 3: The King’s Singers and VOCES8
Date & Time: 11:00, Sun 21 Jul 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Pinocchio – “When You Wish Upon a Star”
- “Come Fly With Me” (to the Moon)
- Gustave Holst – “The Evening Watch”
A delightful mix of classical and popular songs, perfect for a bright and cheerful Sunday morning. Consider having a picnic in Hyde Park afterwards!
Week 2: A Proms alternative
The Glasshouse (Not officially a Prom Concert, clashes with Proms 10)
Date & Time: 19:30, Fri 26 Jul 2024
Venue: The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
Highlights:
- Germaine Tailleferre – Little Suite
- Jean Sibelius – Violin Concerto in D minor (Alena Baeva)
- Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 8 in G major
With Dinis Sousa and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Watch Baeva play the Sibelius Concerto
Week 3: Petrenko and the LPO
Prom 17: Vasily Petrenko conducts the LPO
Date & Time: 19:30, Thu 1 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Charles Ives – Three Places in New England
- Maurice Ravel – Piano Concerto in G major (Pianist: Denis Kozhukhin)
- Claude Debussy – Nocturnes
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Francesca da Rimini
A diverse and captivating program led by the dynamic Vasily Petrenko.
Week 4: Busoni’s Mammoth Concerto
Prom 23: Grosvenor plays Busoni’s Piano Concerto
Date & Time: 19:30, Mon 5 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Ferruccio Busoni – Piano Concerto (lasting over an hour)
- Sergei Rachmaninov – Symphonic Dances (35 mins)
A mammoth concerto performance by Benjamin Grosvenor, complemented by Rachmaninov’s evocative dances.
Week 5: Barenboim & Mutter
Prom 31: Brahms and Schubert
Date & Time: 19:30, Sun 11 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Daniel Barenboim conducting
- Anne-Sophie Mutter on the violin
- Brahms D major Violin Concerto
- Schubert – The Great
Simply because it is Barenboim and Mutter.
Week 6 & 8: Dvořák and more Dvořák
Prom 39: Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony
Date & Time: 19:30, Sun 18 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Northern Ireland’s Ulster Orchestra
Prom 49: Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
Date & Time: 19:30, Tue 27 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Czech Philharmonic and cellist Anastasia Kobekina
Two evenings of Dvořák, featuring his iconic Seventh Symphony and Cello Concerto.
Week 7: Beethoven’s Ninth
Prom 42: Beethoven’s Ninth
Date & Time: 19:30, Wed 21 Aug 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, marking its 200th anniversary
- Preceded by a ‘musical and dramatic exploration’
A timeless composition, that’s why it has featured on Proms (almost) every year.
Week 9: French Flair
Prom 58: Klaus Mäkelä and the Orchestre de Paris
Date & Time: 19:30, Tue 3 Sep 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Debussy, Stravinsky, and Berlioz
- Stravinsky’s Petrushka
A concert showcasing French orchestral mastery, with the intriguing Petrushka adding a fascinating narrative element.
Week 10: Penultimate Perfection
Prom 72: Antonello Manacorda with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Date & Time: 19:30, Fri 13 Sep 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- Periodic Instruments
- Symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven, and Louise Farrenc
A unique auditory experience into the soundscape of 18th/19th century compositions as played through historical instruments.
Final Note
Prom 73: Last Night of the Proms
Date & Time: 19:30, Sat 14 Sep 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Highlights:
- A grand finale with traditional favorites
The Last Night of the Proms could be a hot ticket, so consider the equally compelling penultimate concert if you can’t secure a seat.
Joyce Tang 
