BBC Proms festival to make Bradford debut

The BBC Proms festival will come to Bradford for the first time in September to mark the 2025 UK City of Culture.

Running from Friday 18 July to Saturday 13 September, BBC Proms features 3,000 artists, with 72 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and 14 at venues across the UK.

On 7 September, Grammy Award-winning African music star Angélique Kidjo will perform at St George's Hall in Bradford.

Sam Jackson, director of BBC Proms, said: "It's an incredibly vibrant time across this City of Culture year and we felt it was really important for the Proms to be part of that."

The Proms features internationally renowned artists and orchestras, including more than 40 ensembles from across the UK.

Mr Jackson said: "We do so much in London already, but we didn't want it to be London alone.

"In fact we never do now.

"We want to get across the UK and I think in 2025, had we not done something special in Bradford, it would have been a real oversight because it's where everyone's coming.

"There's so much happening across the city and we were very, very keen for the Proms to be a part of that."

Looking ahead to her performance, Benin-born Kidjo said: "I wanted to tell a story based on my personal experience and my musical background.

"I also wanted to speak of the struggles that artists encounter in the pursuit of their music."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.