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BBC unveils plans for Proms amid coronavirus pandemic

BBC unveils plans for Proms amid coronavirus pandemic
© BBC
The BBC announces that this year's Proms will still go ahead, albeit mostly virtually.

The BBC has announced that the Proms will still go ahead this year, albeit with most of its performances happening virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 season will mark 125 years since the first ever Proms and "will celebrate the past, reflect on the present and build for the future".

The First Night will open proceedings with a unique new performance featuring 350 musicians chipping in from their respective homes.

The season will then proceed with archive programming, nightly on Radio 3 and Sundays on BBC Four, while every Proms from the BBC's archive will be made available on-demand through iPlayer and Sounds.

The BBC then has an ambition to switch to live concerts for two weeks from Friday, August 28 pending the latest government advice, culminating with the Last Night of the Proms "to bring the nation together".

"These are challenging times for our nation and the rest of the world, but they show that we need music and the creative industries more than ever," said David Pickard, director of BBC Proms.

"This year it is not going to be the Proms as we know them, but the Proms as we need them. We will provide a stimulating and enriching musical summer for both loyal Proms audiences and people discovering the riches we have to offer for the first time."

The coverage begins on Friday, July 17.

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Written by
Neil Wilkes

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