Monday 20th October 2025, marking 25 years of the flagship concert series
Special 25th anniversary concert featuring legendary classical music stars, alongside up and coming artists:
Sir John Rutter, Sir Bryn Terfel, Pene Pati, Esther Abrami, Diana Newell (winner of Channel 4’s The Piano), Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & Chorus And Classic FM’s Composer in Residence Debbie Wiseman OBE
Tickets available via Global Player from Friday 4th July
Classic FM – the UK’s most popular classical music station – will celebrate 25 years of its flagship live concert experience with a spectacular anniversary event at the Royal Albert Hall, on Monday 20th October.
Classic FM Live with Viking 2025 will be packed with the biggest classical music hits from the past 25 years of concerts, featuring superstar musicians and soloists, alongside some of classical music’s newest talent. Hosted by Classic FM presenters, the concert is sponsored by one of Classic FM’s long-term partners, Viking (NYSE: VIK), which celebrates its 10th anniversary of supporting Classic FM Live this year.
The renowned Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth, will lead the dazzling line-up which includes:
- Legendary composer and conductor Sir John Rutter celebrating his 80th birthday with a special performance
- Sir Bryn Terfel, one of the world’s leading bass-baritones, making his Classic FM Live debut
- A performance of The Traveller, composed and conducted by Classic FM’s Composer in Residence Debbie Wiseman OBE commissioned by concert sponsor Viking – a global leader in experiential travel which provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world
- Operatic superstar tenor Pene Pati with a special tribute to the great Luciano Pavarotti – born 90 years ago this year
- A former Classic FM Rising Star Esther Abrami performing her own composition
- Diana Newell, the 88-year-old winner of the latest series of Channel 4’s The Piano
- Dramatic lights and fireworks accompany the stunning concert finale.
Classic FM Live with Viking will open with Zadok the Priest, the first piece ever played on Classic FM when the station launched in 1992. Classic FM Live started in September 2000 and, since then, the station has been staging sold-out classical music concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for more than two decades. The special anniversary concert will be recorded for broadcast on Classic FM.
“For 25 years, Classic FM Live has brought the very best classical music to the iconic stage of the Royal Albert Hall, giving our loyal audiences a powerful and personal experience of the music they love.
It’s been a platform for the world’s greatest musicians, as well as a launchpad to champion classical music’s rising stars. October’s anniversary concert will be a fantastic celebration of all we’ve achieved, and we are excited to announce the event, with the continued support of our friends at Viking.”
Philip Noyce, Classic FM’s Managing Editor
Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK, said: “We are so proud to be marking our 10-year milestone of supporting the Classic FM Live concert series at the Royal Albert Hall. Over the past 10 years, Classic FM Live has been an event our Chairman and CEO of Viking, Torstein Hagen, our Viking guests and our UK team members have grown to love and look forward to.
Our guests enjoy listening to classical music whilst at home or travelling around the world. Whether you are sailing with us along the coastline of our homelands of Norway or exploring the “White Continent” of Antarctica, Classic FM is streamed across all our ships so our guests can enjoy listening whilst they take in the scenery.
Our ten-year support of Classic FM Live has been part of a wider partnership and has included various initiatives including Classic FM’s Music Teacher of the Year Awards which recognises and rewards incredible music teachers around the country. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Classic FM and celebrating this 10-year milestone at the concert in October alongside Viking Godmother and our good friend, Debbie Wiseman, who will perform her composition of our signature score, The Traveller.”
Tickets are available from Friday 4th July via Global Player or call the Royal Albert Hall box office on 020 7589 8212. For more information about Viking go to www.viking.com.
