London/Munich. BMW Group and the London Symphony
Orchestra present the fourteenth BMW Classics in London’s iconic
Trafalgar Square on Saturday 13 June at 4pm – a free open-air concert
by the London Symphony Orchestra, also streamed worldwide on YouTube,
Facebook, and into selected BMW cars.
This year’s BMW Classics will be conducted by LSO Chief Conductor
Sir Antonio Pappano, who leads a programme of
selected highlights celebrating the Orchestra’s long association with
two great British masterworks: Gustav
Holst’s ‘The Planets’ and Edward
Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’.
In 2026 and 2027, the LSO launches an ambitious multi-platform
celebration of Holst’s ‘The Planets’, with the BMW Classics concert
serving as the project’s largest live performance moment. This
wide-ranging initiative will unfold across the two years, bringing
digital, educational, and live experiences to audiences in the UK and internationally.
The series begins in March 2026 with a new album on LSO Live, pairing
Holst’s astrological suite with Arnold Bax’s ‘Tintagel’. This release
marks the LSO’s fourth major recording of ‘The Planets’, following the
pioneering acoustic and electronic recordings conducted by Holst
himself in the 1920s, and the acclaimed later versions led by André
Previn and Sir Colin Davis. At BMW Classics on 13 June, audiences in
Trafalgar Square and online will hear selected movements –
Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Uranus.
The LSO’s next live exploration of ‘The Planets’ takes place in
January 2027 with two Barbican performances of Symphonic
Cinema, created by Dutch film director Lucas van
Woerkum. In these concerts, his film ‘Loss’ – featuring
Emma Thompson and Greg Wise, and
portraying a soul’s farewell to earthly life – is synchronised with a
live performance of Holst’s score.
At the centre of this year’s Trafalgar Square concert is the
world premiere of a new work by Louise
Drewett titled ‘Four Dances’, which has been
specially commissioned for BMW Classics. Written for a mixed-ability
orchestra, the piece brings together LSO musicians, Guildhall School
students, and 55 young musicians from east London
participating through the LSO Discovery programmes. Each section is a
distinct dance and each flows seamlessly into the next. The dances
celebrate London itself and depict four striking public spaces. From
start to finish, travelling downriver, these are The Queen’s Walk near
London Bridge, Columbia Wharf in Rotherhithe, South Dock on the Isle
of Dogs, and Greenwich Pier in Maritime Greenwich. These places are
not far apart yet, as so often in London, evoke vastly different
moods, from busy urban environments to tranquil, reflective landscapes.
For the finale, the Orchestra performs excerpts from Edward
Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’. The LSO has
held a profound connection with Elgar since its foundation in 1904,
when the composer conducted the Orchestra during its inaugural season.
Its first Principal Conductor, Hans Richter, was also
a leading champion of Elgar’s music in Britain and abroad.
The 2026 programme reflects the LSO and BMW’s shared commitment to
supporting ambitious, forward-looking cultural projects. As the LSO
embarks on its multi-year exploration of Holst’s ‘The Planets’,
BMW Classics serves as the flagship live moment,
bringing a major orchestral work into a fully public space – free,
open, and accessible to all. The world premiere of ‘Four Dances’
further underlines the shared mission of BMW and the LSO to foster
young talent and expand musical participation across generations.
For the streaming into select BMW models the content is made
available via the Video App (DTS AutoStage Video Service Powered by
TiVo™) in the latest infotainment systems of BMW and MINI*. The Video
App brings together a wealth of video content from a wide range of
providers, including news and live or on-demand shows. A number of
streaming services are available internationally, including Disney+,
YouTube, Joyn, Bloomberg, TED, ARTE and Plex. These are accompanied by
market-specific streaming services.
Dame Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the London
Symphony Orchestra: “It is a great pleasure to be
celebrating some of Britain’s greatest and most popular orchestral
music this summer at BMW Classics. The Orchestra has a long
association with both ‘The Planets’ and ‘Enigma Variations’, and we
particularly remember the stirring moment during the Opening Ceremony
of the London 2012 Olympic Games, when the LSO and young musicians in
our LSO Discovery programme performed ‘Nimrod’ as the ceremony’s
emotional climax – a moment we are delighted to bring to audiences in
Trafalgar Square. Alongside these two great classics, we are thrilled
to present the world premiere of British composer, Louise Drewett’s
‘Four Dances’, commissioned especially for BMW Classics. On behalf of
the LSO and our audiences both in Trafalgar Square and around the
world online, I extend our sincere thanks to our esteemed partner BMW
and to the Mayor of London for making this event possible.”
Ms Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW
AG, People and Real Estate said: “For 15 years, BMW
Classics has stood for the idea that extraordinary music should be
open to everyone. This year’s programme – from Holst’s ‘The Planets’
to a new commissioned work created for young musicians – shows how
powerful cultural experiences can be when barriers are removed. I am
especially excited that audiences around the world can join us
digitally and, for the second time, directly from selected BMW
vehicles. Our partnership with the LSO continues to demonstrate how
technology, creativity and youth engagement can come together to
inspire entire communities.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan: “I’m delighted that
the London Symphony Orchestra will be returning to Trafalgar Square
for another special open-air concert this summer. The BMW Classics
brings outstanding, free classical music to the heart of the capital
for Londoners and visitors to enjoy. It’s also a wonderful opportunity
for talented young musicians to perform alongside this world-renowned
orchestra, helping to inspire the next generation of talent as we
continue to build a better London for everyone.”
“I am grateful to the London Symphony Orchestra for commissioning
this new work. It has been an incredible opportunity to write for so
many wonderful musicians of different ages at the one time – the LSO,
Guildhall School students and the LSO Discovery young musicians. I’m
excited to hear this extraordinary orchestra perform at this year’s
BMW Classics. It feels particularly special for the orchestra to
perform new work outside the concert hall, publicly in the heart of
London in Trafalgar Square,“ said Composer, Ms Louise Drewett.
BMW Classics
London Symphony
Orchestra
Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano
Saturday 13 June at
4.00pm
Trafalgar Square, London
Gustav Holst The Planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter,
Venus, Uranus)
Louise Drewett Four Dances (world premiere), with
young musicians from LSO Discovery
Edward Elgar Enigma Variations (excerpts)
https://www.lso.co.uk/bmwclassics/
For audiences around the world, the concert will be live streamed on
the London Symphony Orchestra’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/lso and
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/londonsymphonyorchestra
and will be available to watch on demand from 14 days after the
concert for up to 90 days.
For press material, please visit https://lso.co.uk/more/press.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/londonsymphonyorchestra
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/londonsymphonyorchestra
@londonsymphonyorchestra
#LSOBMWClassics
The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and
deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.