A concert for gaming enthusiasts, an evening of soul and Motown reimagined for symphony orchestra, themes from Sci-Fi films and the stories of the Apollo moon missions in high definition, narrated by Tom Hanks on a film created by Lightroom – these are just some of the highlights of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s new 80th anniversary season, announced today. Between September 2026 and June 2027, the RPO will perform 33 London concerts across three venues, with programming designed to appeal to young audiences and the launch of a new concert format that will particularly welcome people attending an orchestral concert for the first time.
The new season announcement comes ahead of the RPO’s annual audience trends report, which reveals how significantly the UK orchestral audience is changing. There is a significant revival of interest in orchestral music among young people, with under 25s being the age group most likely to be starting journeys of discovery with the genre (55%). Further, 46% of orchestral music’s audience describe themselves as new to the genre or starting journeys of discovery. This compares to 38% of the audience who say they have enjoyed classical music for many years – and 12% who are about to experience an orchestral concert for the first time this year.
Vasily Petrenko, Music Director, will lead the RPO for a season of concerts that both celebrate the past and look forward with optimism. The RPO’s Composer-in-Association, Joe Hisaishi, will conduct an evening of his own music, including the UK premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra. The RPO will also welcome Adam Hickox as Conductor-in-Residence and Liya Petrova as Artist-in-Residence for the 2026–27 Season at their resident home, Cadogan Hall.
The new, wide-ranging RPO season is responsive to the preferences of today’s concert goers in and around London, with the different venues championing different types of concerts that appeal to contrasting audience profiles.
Must see symphonic benchmarks at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
With one in four London concertgoers (26%) expressing interest in concerts featuring core classical repertoire, the RPO will celebrate its landmark 80th anniversary year by performing a series of ‘must see’ concerts of large scale core symphonic repertoire. These include; Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Daphnis et Chloé by Ravel.
The stories behind great music at Cadogan Hall:
With 29% of people new to the orchestral genre saying they like to research a piece of music before attending a concert, the RPO will launch a brand-new ‘Revealed’ format of concerts at Cadogan Hall. Multi-award-winning writer and historian Leah Broad will unwrap music by Tchaikovsky and Mozart in conversation with the conductor and RPO musicians, followed by a complete performance of each symphony. This informal and engaging programme of concerts aims to encourage people new to classical music to have a welcoming first experience in the concert hall and to help them get under the skin of the music and its cultural context. It will also appeal to afficionados who want to deepen their knowledge. Vasily Petrenko will be revealing Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ Symphony whilst Adam Hickox’s concert will open the world of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.
Concerts for all the family at the Royal Albert Hall
With family-orientated concerts popular among younger adults in their 20s and 30s (32%), the Royal Albert Hall will blend major symphonic performances with more accessible, family-friendly concerts. The Moonwalkers in Concert will be a highlight for the autumn, a concert that presents the stories of the Apollo moon missions in high definition, narrated by Tom Hanks on a film created by Lightroom. Other concerts for the season include an evening of soul and Motown reimagined for symphony orchestra, the very best tunes from Broadway and the West End, themes from Sci-Fi films and a concert for gaming enthusiasts. For Christmas season, the RPO will once again present Sir John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration.
Sarah Bardwell, Managing Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra comments: “From film and video game music, Broadway and soul classics, Joe Hisaishi conducting live, The Moonwalkers narrated by Tom Hanks, to our new hour-long ‘Revealed’ concerts at Cadogan Hall, and a host of orchestral masterpieces at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall – there’s something for all musical tastes for our new season. In the weeks ahead we will be announcing our UK season for venues outside London as well as international tours, but today is all about London. For the last 80 years, we have been proud to be based in one of the world’s most creatively rich and diverse cities and our new London season is a ‘thank you’ to all those that have kept music alive over the last 80 years by attending our concerts, whilst also being a celebration of what orchestral music is today. From the classic to the modern, the serious to the fun – our new season is all about giving concert-goers a great night out: And in today’s troubled world, that’s probably more important than ever.”
The RPO’s new annual audience report, explored the enriching role that live music plays in people’s everyday lives in the capital. Across London, 89% of adults said they liked to go to a music concert when they could, with 45% saying they had access live music venues within 30- minutes of travel from their home. Furthermore, 80% of Londoners rated as ‘good’ the diversity of music styles that could be celebrated and enjoyed in the city and 72% appreciated London being a city that is visited regularly by world-class orchestras and famous soloists. In addition, 77% of people felt London was well served with great music venues, three of which the RPO is delighted to partner with for its 2026–27 season.
Vasily Petrenko, Music Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra adds: “For the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, turning 80 is both a celebration and a milestone as we look ahead to the next chapter. After eight decades, it’s safe to say that the Orchestra feels younger and fresher than ever. But it also has many stories to tell, and this 80th Anniversary Season places a waymarker on our journey of discovery, giving us the opportunity to share those stories anew, together. It’s a season full of reflections, remembrances and evocations: music that celebrates music, and the musicians who make it. And above all, music that celebrates our audience – the people who make the music complete.”