BBC Proms features Little Mix’s Jade and a Traitors concert wth Claudia Winkleman – is it still the world’s greatest ‘classical’ music festival
The BBC hopes a Proms season featuring Jade from Little Mix and music from The Traitors will attract a new, younger audience to the world’s largest classical music festival.
But the broadcaster has rejected criticism that a line-up including YouTube stars and art-rock singer St. Vincent is an embarrassing attempt to get “groovy” with teenagers.
The Proms will take over Radio 1 on Sunday night with a special performance by Jade Thirlwall, the former member of girl group Little Mix.
Introduced by breakfast DJ Greg James, Jade will stretch the boundaries of classical music by singing orchestrated versions of songs from her upcoming solo album, That’s Showbiz Baby, at the Gateshead Glasshouse. The Prom will be shown on BBC TV later this year.
Claudia Winkleman makes her Proms debut on Saturday with a Prom capitalising on the runaway success of The Traitors. As well as the show’s theme tune, audiences will hear performances of classical and pop pieces which share the theme of treachery and betrayal.
Other highlights include an all-night “rave Prom” taking over the Royal Albert Hall, curated by “TikTok organist” Anna Lapwood. Performers include Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino, whose performances of Chopin and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, became a YouTube sensation, attracting 1.5 million followers.
Traditionalists have baulked at the focus on attracting new listeners who would not normally tune in to the season of classical concerts, broadcast live on Radio 3.
In a piece for The Spectator, headlined “The BBC’s mistreatment of the Proms”, Michael Henderson complained that Radio 3 presenters Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann were “following instructions laid down from above: Make it groovy!”
This year’s First Night, featuring Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili, performing a Sibelius concerto, was presented as “a compound of sporting event and talent show, designed to titillate adolescents who might feel ‘excluded’ by anything formal.”
David Cotter of The Critic magazine asked if the BBC was preparing to rebrand The Proms without the “classical” tag, which some find off-putting.
“Foregrounding – albeit excellent – jazz, soul, and reality TV may cause more curatorial headaches going forward,” Cotter wrote. “Will the Proms remain as ‘The World’s Greatest Classical Music Festival’ or, perhaps one day, become ‘The World’s Greatest Music Festival’,” he asked.
The Summer season has previously featured Dr Who and Ibiza Proms, as well as Florence + The Machine.
Proms highlights
Traitors Prom
A “spine-tingling celebration of musical treachery” hosted by Claudia Winkleman, will explore the “tense and haunting sound-world” inspired by the hit reality challenge show. Expect a BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra twist on Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire, Mozart’s Requiem – Lacrimosa, and London Grammar’s Hell To The Liars. Will be shown on BBC TV after the season (Royal Albert Hall, Saturday July 26, 3pm and 7.30pm)
From Dark Till Dawn
First all-night Prom since 1983, curated by “TikTok organist” Anna Lapwood. Running from 11pm to 7am, the musical selection includes bawdy Nordic drinking songs performed by Norwegian ensemble Barokksolistene. YouTube sensation pianist Hayato Sumino makes his Proms debut. (Royal Albert Hall, Friday August 5)
St. Vincent
The queen of “raw emotion, electrifying rock and unrestrained self-expression”, chart-topping US singer Annie Clark makes her Proms debut with Jules Buckley and his orchestra, performing new symphonic arrangements of tracks from her eclectic back catalogue. (Royal Albert Hall, Wednesday Sept 83)
But the drive to maximise younger audiences this year is credited to the arrival of Sam Jackson, the Radio 3 Controller with a populist touch, who has also taken over programming the Proms.
A former Classic FM boss, Jackson, 41, says the Prom he is most proud of staging this year is the Great American Songbook interpretation by the Grammy-winning US jazz singer, Samara Joy.
Jackson told The i Paper: “The BBC Proms caters for everyone, from those well-versed in classical music to first timers. We welcome all ages to the festival, and whilst it’s wonderful to see young people at the Proms, there hasn’t been a conscious shift to broaden appeal to that audience, above any other.
“We saw a record-breaking opening weekend based on digital performance, including over half a million streams alongside records for signed-in accounts and hours listened.”
Radio 3’s Instagram feed is running additional behind-the-scenes Proms content to boost digital engagement.
Insiders said that with the BBC’s arts and music budget under constant pressure – a move to axe the BBC Singers choir, who will appear at the Traitors Prom, was only averted after protests – the Summer classical season needs to demonstrate it can broaden its appeal beyond loyal Radio 3 listeners.
One music insider said: “There are TV slots for 25 Proms from an eight-week season. You need names like Jade or Claudia to get a Prom on BBC One or Two beyond the Last Night. For some people, this might be their only TV experience of orchestrated music, and hopefully it will encourage them to try more.”
The 2025 Proms presenting line-up includes familiar TV faces, such as Clive Myrie, Anita Rani, Andi Oliver, and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed, to help tell the stories behind the music people are about to hear.
Although the Jade and Traitors Proms help attract interest around the season, this year’s Proms also includes plenty of concerts to satisfy traditionalists, including the Vienna Philharmonic playing Mozart and Tchaikovsky and a rare performance of Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.
Every Prom is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and on BBC Sounds until 30 days after the Last Night.
Plan for Palestine protests
The BBC is prepared for any pro-Palestinian protests at the first major music festival broadcast since the Glastonbury Bob Vylan row.
Audience members are allowed to bring Palestinian flags into the Royal Albert Hall, as long as they do not exceed a size of 0.5m X 1m.
However, banners promoting “hatred”, “protest”, or support for “proscribed groups” – such as Palestine Action – are prohibited.
Performers expected to show solidarity with the Palestinian cause include the Grammy-winning Pakistani-American musician Arooj Aftab, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza and wore a specially-made outfit, created by Palestinian refugees, at her last London concert.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Artists performing at the Proms are regularly reminded about BBC editorial guidelines, and these will apply to their broadcasts.”
The spokesperson added: “It has been a longstanding position that flags are permitted at the BBC Proms – traditionally only part of the Last Night celebrations – provided they do not interfere with the smooth running of the concert.”
The Proms has previously been disrupted by Just Stop Oil protestors, who ran on stage during the opening night in 2023.
