Singer and actress Beverley Knight will perform iconic works by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke at the Soul Revolution Prom. She is joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, alongside other guest artists Annahstasia, James Emmanuel, Jacob Lusk, Reginald Mobley and Tony Momrelle, and the LJ Singers choir.
Following the success of 2023’s Northern Soul Prom and 2024’s Disco Prom, the BBC Concert Orchestra continues its journey of orchestral interpretations of musical genres. Presented and co-curated by BBC Radio 2’s Trevor Nelson, BBC Proms: Soul Revolution is a celebration of spirituals, gospel, and soul music rooted in the US Civil Rights movement.
Beverley Knight says: “I’m so proud to be involved in this year’s BBC Proms: Soul Revolution at the Royal Albert Hall. Never has the time been more right to highlight the songs of protest written and performed by some of the most iconic and revered Black artists of all time. Struggle and triumph have been at the heart of modern Black art for centuries and it is a great honour for me personally to sing these songs alongside such wonderful talent.”
Trevor Nelson, who presents the afternoon show (2-4pm) each weekday on Radio 2, says: “I am excited to be making my Proms presenting debut, and I’m especially pleased that Beverley Knight has agreed to be a part of it. Our careers have run in parallel for years, and I’ve championed her from the start. She is an outstanding performer with an incredible voice, a national treasure who always leaves audiences in awe.”
Beverley Knight last appeared at the BBC Proms in 2017 for The Sound of Soul: Stax Records alongside Sir Tom Jones, Booker T. Jones and Sam Moore, and Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
Now in its second week, the BBC Proms 2025 season spans eight weeks and features 86 concerts, including 25 televised Proms. More than 200,000 tickets to Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and venues across the UK have been purchased so far. Over 6,000 people attended the recent BBC Proms in the North East, including over 4,500 experiencing a Prom for the first time. The season has had a record-breaking opening weekend online, with over half a million streams alongside records for accounts and hours. Proms currently available on BBC iPlayer include First Night of the Proms, Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Vivaldi and Bach at the Proms, and The Great American Songbook with Samara Joy.
BBC Proms: Soul Revolution will broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and will be available on Sounds for 30 days, as well as broadcasting on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday 24 August at 8pm. It will be filmed for TV, airing on BBC Two on Sunday 30 August, and available on BBC iPlayer for 12 months.
Royal Albert Hall, Sunday 3 August, 7.30pm
Live on BBC Radio 3 and on BBC Sounds, on BBC Radio 2 Sunday 24 August, 8pm
On BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 30 August
