Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

After a packed 58 days, the 115th Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms comes to a spectacular end on Saturday 12 September.

The world-renowned Last Night Of The Proms will once again see celebrations in London's Royal Albert Hall and at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park events around the UK.

The event, dubbed "the world's biggest musical party", is set to reach a bigger worldwide audience than ever before, with broadcasts in sound or vision reaching music lovers on every continent.

For the first time, the Last Night Of The Proms is screened via satellite to cinema chains in Asia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA on 12 September (13 September in time-delayed territories), presenting one of the UK's most iconic music events on the big screen and in digital surround sound. Among those to sign up is the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

Proms on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ television in the UK have already reached more than 12 million viewers to date (excluding time-shifted viewing, ie via the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer), and the Last Night from the Royal Albert Hall can be enjoyed by UK audiences on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two (first half) and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One (second half).

Music lovers in the UK can also view the celebrations at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park events, which are taking place in London, County Down, Glasgow, Swansea and Salford.

The concert from Hillsborough Castle, County Down, is broadcast live on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four and viewers can also use the red button to view a selection of coverage from all of the Proms In The Park events.

The expanding programme of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Big Screens, currently in 20 locations, takes Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park even further around the country, including Bradford (Centenary Square), Middlesbrough and Swindon (Wharf Green).

Countries lined up to broadcast this year's event on television include Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Romania.

Through Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio, the reach of the Last Night goes wider still in the UK and abroad. The Royal Albert Hall event is live on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3, while the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park London Hyde Park event is live on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2, with live streaming on both stations' websites.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park events in County Down, Glasgow, Swansea and Salford are broadcast live on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Ulster, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Scotland, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Manchester respectively.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service, which has broadcast Proms concerts since 1932, reaches a potential worldwide audience of 40 million on its English language service alone, and the Last Night is broadcast live on the joint Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service/Deutsche Welle DRM (digital shortwave) network, with highlights on Sunday on the regular World Service radio and online networks.

More than 20 other countries among the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's European Broadcast Union partners and National Public Radio in USA are also broadcasting Radio 3's relay of Last Night, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and USA. More than half of those countries will be broadcasting the event live via satellite, and some even have their own presenters in the Royal Albert Hall.

Roger Wright, Director Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms, says: "The aim of the Proms has always been to bring classical music to the widest possible audience. Thanks to modern technology we are able to present the concerts in new and expanding ways to an ever-increasing global audience. We are proud of the international success of the Last Night Of The Proms and that one the UK's great events is becoming such an international phenomenon."

Notes to Editors

The Last Night Of The Proms takes place in the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 12 September and features the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson with soloists Alison Balsom (trumpet) and Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano).

As well as the traditional participatory ingredients, including Rule, Britannia!, Land Of Hope And Glory and Jerusalem, there's music by Radio 3's Composers Of The Year, Handel, Purcell and Haydn, as well as works by Mahler, Villa-Lobos, Ketelbey and others.

Among the highlights is a piece by Malcolm Arnold, A Grand, Grand Overture, which includes parts for vacuum cleaners, a floor polisher and rifles, to be played by some surprise guest artists, as well brand new fanfares written by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms Inspire Young Composer winners, which will link together the Last Night festivities around the country.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Proms In The Park events will see an estimated 80,000 people attend the five concerts, which are taking place in, London – Hyde Park, County Down – Hillsborough Castle, Glasgow – Glasgow Green, Swansea – Singleton Park and Salford – Buile Hill Park.

In London, audiences enjoy performances from classical stars Katherine Jenkins and Garoar Thor Cortes, as well as international legend Barry Manilow. Artists appearing at the other locations include, Sir James Galway, Nicola Benedetti, Elin Manahan Thomas and Chris De Burgh.

For full listings and ticket details for all Last Night Of The Proms events, please visit bbc.co.uk/proms.

VB/SG