Katie Derham live from the Royal Albert Hall

The sound of summer pours from your radio in Proms Countdown 2026. From first light to the very first note of the BBC Proms, Radio 3 broadcasts live from the Royal Albert Hall. Tom McKinney, Georgia Mann, Mark Forrest and Katie Derham take you behind the scenes as excitement builds for the opening night — from unlocking the doors to the moment the first performers step on stage.

Proms Countdown is your access-all-areas pass, with exclusive interviews from Proms performers, backstage stories and live performance — a front-row seat to the sounds and stars of the world’s greatest classical music festival.

Katie's guests include conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, journalists Lyse Doucet and Steve Rosenberg and conductor of the First Night of the Proms Dalia Stasevska. And the Black Dyke Band returns to perform a fanfare to mark the start of the BBC Proms 2026.