By Harry Nara · Last updated
- First Night of the PromsFriday 17 July 2026
- Where
- Royal Albert Hall
- Tickets
- Ticketed
- Runs
- July / August / September
- Held
- Annual
The 132nd season. First Night is conducted by Dalia Stasevska with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Eight weeks of nightly classical concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and the cheapest seats in the house are not seats at all. Promming tickets put you standing in the Arena, a few metres from the conductor, for less than the price of a London cinema ticket. They go on sale on the night, and the queue outside the hall is the whole trick.
What the Proms actually is
A summer-long festival of classical music founded on the idea that great performance should be affordable to anyone who turns up. Nightly concerts run at the Royal Albert Hall, with chamber concerts at Cadogan Hall and outdoor events at other venues across the city. The season opens with a First Night and closes with the Last Night, and the great majority of the concerts in between are far easier to get into than either.
Where to watch the Proms
- The Arena. The standing floor directly in front of the stage. This is the best value in London classical music and arguably the best view in the building, close enough to watch the conductor work. Get there early in the queue and you can stand at the rail.
- The Gallery. The standing level right at the top, above the boxes. Acoustically superb, considerably more relaxed than the Arena, and people genuinely lie down on the floor during longer works. A different experience rather than a worse one.
- Seated tickets. Go on general sale in spring and cover every price band up to the boxes. Worth it for the Last Night or a marquee soloist. For an ordinary weeknight Prom, the Arena is better and cheaper.
- Free outdoor screenings and Proms at other venues. The BBC broadcasts every Prom on radio and many on television, and the season programmes concerts beyond the Royal Albert Hall each year. Worth checking if the hall itself is sold out on your dates.
Tickets and what it costs
Promming tickets are sold on the day, in person, for a flat low price, with a limited number released online in advance for some concerts. Seated tickets are conventional and go on general sale once the season is announced in the spring. The First Night and the Last Night are the two that sell out fastest and the Last Night has its own ballot, so treat those as separate problems from the rest of the season.
Official information and booking: www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms
Getting there
South Kensington on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines is the usual approach, with a subway tunnel most of the way and roughly a ten-minute walk. High Street Kensington and Gloucester Road are similar distances. Buses along Kensington Gore stop directly outside. Concerts finish late enough that the last Tube is worth checking before you commit to a long journey home.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Other London events
Frequently asked questions
What is Promming?
Buying a standing ticket, sold on the day for a flat low price, that puts you either in the Arena on the floor in front of the stage or in the Gallery at the very top of the hall. It is the tradition the festival is named for and the cheapest way into a world-class concert in London.
How early should you queue for a Prom?
Around ninety minutes before doors is normal for a popular concert, less for a quieter weeknight. Your position in the queue determines whether you can stand at the Arena rail, so early arrival buys a materially better spot rather than just entry.
Is the Arena or the Gallery better?
The Arena for proximity, the Gallery for acoustics and space. The Arena puts you close enough to watch the conductor in detail. The Gallery is calmer, sounds excellent, and lets you sit or lie down during long works.
Do you need to book Proms tickets in advance?
Not for Promming, which is the point of it. Seated tickets go on general sale in the spring once the season is announced, and the First Night and Last Night sell out well ahead of everything else.
What should you wear to the Proms?
Whatever you like. There is no dress code and the Promming tradition is deliberately informal. If you are standing in the Arena, comfortable shoes matter more than anything else.
Can children go to the Proms?
Yes, and the season usually includes concerts programmed specifically for families. For a standard evening Prom, consider the Gallery over the Arena, where standing for two hours in a dense crowd is harder going.
Sources
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2026. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.