BBC Proms to return as ‘we know and love’ it after a bumpy time, says director

The BBC Proms’ forthcoming season will see the event back as “we know and love” it after the music world went through a “bumpy time” after the pandemic, the director has said.

This year’s expansive 90-concert programme features debut performances from Florence Welch and Sam Smith, a disco night and a host of international orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and the West-Eastern Divan.

Following an extended period of uncertainty around their future, the BBC Singers will also celebrate their centenary year with seven performances within the 2024 run.

Speaking to BBC Radio 3 on the Proms programme launch day, director David Pickard said: “I think people don’t remember now just