Press Release: BMW Classics 2026

BMW Group and the London Symphony Orchestra present the fourteenth BMW Classics in London’s 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 the LSO and BMW to foster young talent and expand musical participation across generations.

Dame Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra said: ‘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 said: ‘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.’

Composer, Ms Louise Drewett said: ‘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.’