The BBC has revealed its 2026 Proms line-up, spanning eight weeks and 86 concerts across the UK. Among the highlights is a family-friendly event showcasing Alan Menken’s Disney film scores, reflecting the Proms’ continued focus on diverse programming.

The 2026 BBC Proms season will run for eight weeks at the Royal Albert Hall and several other UK venues, presenting 86 concerts with leading orchestras, conductors, and soloists from Britain and around the world. The season will include 20 premieres, 17 of which are BBC commissions.

One of the standout events scheduled for 31 August is Enchanted: Alan Menken’s Music for Disney, performed by the BBC Philharmonic. The concert will feature special guests and performers from the National Youth Music Theatre, emphasising a family-oriented approach.

Family audiences will also be targeted with Horrible Science: The Big Bang Proms Experiment on 25 July. Following the popularity of last year’s Horrible Histories Prom, this science-themed event combines orchestral music by Gustav Holst and John Williams with characters based on Albert Einstein and Marie Curie.

A semi-staged production of Weber’s Oberon on 6 August marks the opera’s 200th anniversary. The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra will perform under Sir Mark Elder’s direction, with Nicky Spence starring as Oberon and Jennifer Davis as Reiza.

The Proms will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s death with a wide-ranging selection of his works, from early pieces to larger compositions. There will also be a season-long focus on American music to honour 250 years since the US Declaration of Independence.

The programme includes the Proms debut of the Metropolitan Orchestra and the return of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, marking their first appearance in nearly 25 years. Additional musical tributes will commemorate centenaries for John Coltrane, Morton Feldman, and others, alongside a concert dedicated to Miles Davis.

Cross-genre performances will feature a 40th anniversary celebration of Paul Simon’s Graceland with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a Prom devoted to progressive rock, and appearances by Turkish psych-folk group Altın Gün, conductor Jules Buckley, and singer-songwriter Nadine Shah.

Outside London, the Proms will visit the North East of England and Bristol, and make its debut appearance in Mold, North Wales. Sinfonia Cymru will perform there as part of a collaboration inspired by Radio 3’s Words and Music.

Tickets for seated Proms will start at £12.20 including fees, with standing Promming tickets priced at £8. The BBC will broadcast every concert on Radio 3 and BBC Sounds, with 24 programmes televised on BBC and streamed via iPlayer.

Sam Jackson, Controller of Radio 3 and the BBC Proms, described the season as a celebration of “classical music at its most vibrant” and highlighted the accessibility of tickets and wide broadcast coverage, aimed at welcoming both new and returning Proms audiences.