BMW Classics

Saturday 13 June 2026 4pm BST
Trafalgar Square & Online

Gustav Holst
Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus & Uranus from ‘The Planets’
Louise Drewett
Four Dances (world premiere) *
Edward Elgar
Excerpts from ‘Enigma Variations’

Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
LSO Discovery Young Musicians *
Guildhall School Musicians *
London Symphony Orchestra

Attend in person

Watch online

This year, LSO Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano 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 BMW Classics serving as the project’s largest live-performance moment. Audiences in Trafalgar Square and online will get to hear five movements of the astrological-inspired suite — Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Uranus.

At the centre of this year’s concert, is the world premiere of Louise Drewett’s new work 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. The Dances celebrate London itself and depict four striking public spaces, each with its own distinctive mood: The Queen’s Walk near London Bridge; Columbia Wharf in Rotherhithe; South Dock on the Isle of Dogs; and Greenwich Pier in Maritime Greenwich.

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 and went on to serve as its second Principal Conductor.

This annual event reflects the LSO and BMW’s shared commitment to supporting ambitious, forward-looking cultural projects. For 15 years this partnership has brought superlative live orchestral music into a fully public space and around the globe via streaming – free, open, and accessible to all. The new commissions and world premiere performances each year further underline the shared mission of the LSO and BMW to foster young talent and expand musical participation across generations.

Trafalgar Square

Join us in-person in the heart of London, for free. No ticket is required and gates will open from 2.45pm for a 4pm start. You can find further practical information about attending the event here.

Watch Online

For our audiences around the world, the concert will also be live-streamed at 4pm BST on YouTube and Facebook, and will later be available to watch on demand. Direct links will be posted here closer to the event.

We look forward to welcoming you, wherever you are watching from.