BBC PROMS 2026

I am not complaining - I am simply suggesting that the Proms is changing in ways that are not necessary I feel.

As I said above, people turning out to a country music gig or to Glastonbury would be a bit nonplussed if a full symphony orchestra rolled up and played Beethoven!

I recognize the last night as a romp and a bit different to the rest of the festival - but unfortunately the rest is going the same way!

Honestly we are big boys and girls and can cope with a whole evening of classical music in a classical music festival!! We do not need it to be lightened up for us!

There are plenty of other festivals around for other genres to be celebrated.

I’m not a great fan of classical music but quite enjoyed the variety in it.
I wasn’t keen on the pianist though I am sure she is very talented.
And although I’m Scottish I wasn’t too keen on the Scottish medley. But the traditional pieces at the end were uplifting.
I never understand why it’s auld Lang zyne
! It’s syne.
And definitely too much talking.

I agree with Luckgirl13

Honestly we are big boys and girls and can cope with a whole evening of classical music in a classical music festival!! We do not need it to be lightened up for us!

I wonder how long it will be before the word classical is dropped altogether by the BBC when describing the Proms?

Nicky Spence was great fun - the kilt business was a tease, intended to make us fear the worst! I think his diction is excellent. I almost understood the Scots dialect, which generally defeats me. And what a lovely voice! There was so much to enjoy and the essentials were all there - Rule Britannia, Tom Bowling, and so on. As for the flags - the BBC displayed Union flags very prominently. The audience bring their own choice, whether UK, EU or the flags of their own nations.

I watched the highlights programme the BBC did last night. Thoroughly enjoyed Emerson, Lake and Palmer's version of Fanfare For The Common Man. I remember seeing them at the Albert Hall (possibly when they were still The Nice) on the night they got banned for playing the organ.

I enjoyed most of the Last Night of the Proms.
No it wasn’t what I was expecting but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment. I’ve watched parts of it again as we recorded it.

In my youth I was a frequent ‘prommer’ and entered the ballot for last/first night tickets many times, only being lucky on a couple of occasions. This was in the fifties and sixties and by the last night we were well acquainted with other queue members. We could only afford standing tickets in the arena or up in the Gods, so the last night was a celebration. I rather missed the shots of the front row antics and costumes this year who always promoted the party atmosphere
Two points - first, the average of the audience was easily 50+ years older than the days when you and I enjoyed the Proms
I didn’t see many ‘young’ promenaders on Saturday night.
Second , having stressed the audience ‘participation’ in the preceding chat the cameras steadfastly ignored the audience, -no crocodile tears, oversized hankies or bobbing up and down to be seen.

I still watch Last Night out of habit, but don't feel Dolly Parton is right for a classical music event. Also I miss the old days when Richard Baker was the presenter and he seemed ,more authoritive than the presenters we have.

I just feel that the opportunities to watch and hear folk, pop, country, jazz etc. are numerous, whereas those for watching classical are few and far between. The Proms has always been my yearly indulgence, more precious now that my ability to get out to concerts is curtailed by my health problems. It is a shame that the concerts that are televised tend to be the crossover ones - I have no problem with that (I have very wide musical taste) if the classical concerts were not being reduced to fit these in.