In summertime, London becomes the go-to place for musicians and music-lovers when the Proms, an eight-week-long concert series, takes place.
The Proms, which mostly plays out in the famous Royal Albert Hall, is one of the Western world's longest-running classical music festivals — it has been going since 1895.
It's outlived six monarchs, and even recovered from the destruction of its original venue during World War II air raids.
And thanks to the advent of broadcasting, the festival has a decades-long connection with Australian audiences.
The Proms is so internationally significant it's like the musical Olympics, and it has launched Australian musicians onto the global arena.
"Every musician dreams of playing on the Royal Albert Hall's stage," says ABC Classic broadcaster Mairi Nicolson, who has presented many Proms during her 46-year career.
Mairi Nicolson and Petroc Trelawny co-hosted concerts from Melbourne during the first Proms festival held outside the UK in 2016. (Supplied: Mairi Nicolson)
ABC Classic presenter Russell Torrance says the Proms concerts are informal, and people "don't have to sit in a stuffy concert hall".
Instead, "prommers" or "promenaders" can use the standing areas inside the hall (the Arena and Gallery), where ticket prices are much lower than if you were to get a seat.
Making 'the best music' available to everyone
When the Proms began in 1895, Queen Victoria was the English monarch, Australia was still part of the British colony and federation was a work in progress.
The festival was the brainchild of impresario Robert Newman and conductor Sir Henry Wood.
The Proms has always aimed to "put on concerts of the best classical music, and make them available to everyone", Torrance says.
Ticket prices have always been affordably priced. Today you can snap a ticket for £8 (just under $16 AUD).
"You wouldn't get a couple of beers in that part of London with that money," Torrance says.
Conductor Elim Chan and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason performed at the First Night of the Proms this year. (BBC: Chris Christodoulou)
As classical music audiences have evolved, so too has the festival.
Over recent years, the Proms has expanded the genres of music on offer, including film screenings with live orchestras, performances from pop icons and hip hop music.
But to enjoy the Proms, you need to get into the Royal Albert Hall, the main venue for the concerts since 1941.
That involves following the very British tradition of standing in a long queue.
Tickets for the concerts are limited and only sold on the day of the performance. If you miss out, you can still catch the live broadcasts by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
The BBC has broadcast Proms concerts on radio and TV since 1927.
Adapting to evolving social standards
The concert series is book-ended by the First Night and Last Night of the Proms, which are some of the best-known concerts in the classical music world.
But the Last Night of the Proms, which typically feature many audience favourites, have garnered fierce criticism in recent years.
The music has included Edward Elgar's Land Of Hope And Glory and an 18th Century song, Rule, Britannia! by Thomas Arne.
Most of these performances traditionally feature audiences waving the British flags.
Earlier this year, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who became a global household name when he performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018, called for Rule, Britannia! to be replaced.
"I think maybe some people don't realise how uncomfortable a song like that can make a lot of people feel, even if it makes [the people singing it] feel good," Kanneh-Mason told the BBC.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has called for Rule, Britannia to be replaced in Last Night of the Proms concerts. (BBC: Chris Christodoulou)
The chorus include the lines: Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!/Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Kanneh-Mason, who became the first Black person to win the BBC Young Musician award in 2016, performed as a soloist at the Last Night of the Proms in 2023, but said he did not stay to hear Rule! Britannia.
Torrance says that "politics is never far from the Proms".
This year, the festival hosted the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, comprising musicians from Israel, Palestine and other Arab and Muslim countries under renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim. Barenboim has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Gaza.
Daniel Barenboim, who recently withdrew from performing, makes an appearance at the London Proms with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. (Supplied: BBC)
In 2022, at the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Proms staged the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, whose international acclaim has given voice to many Ukrainian musicians calling for an end to the conflict.
What the Proms means for an Australian audience
The Proms has been a firm fixture for classical music audiences in Australia, with ABC Classic broadcasting the festival for much of the network's history.
ABC Classic presenter Mairi Nicolson's most treasured memories are seeing Australian musicians perform in the Royal Albert Hall, such as the Australian Youth Orchestra in 1994 and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1995.
"It was very special to witness Aussies playing on that famous stage."
In 2016, Nicolson helped to bring a taste of the Proms in her hometown in Melbourne when the BBC staged its first mini-Proms Festival in Australia.
From Melbourne's venues, Nicolson co-hosted many concerts alongside popular British broadcaster Petroc Trelawny, a familiar voice to many Proms listeners.
Nicolson thinks the secret to the Proms success and longevity is its flexibility.
"Alongside its great traditions there has been constant change in its programming and exponential growth in its world-wide audience," she says.
Whether you grew up listening to the Proms, or are new to classical music, the festival's diverse programming ensures that Australian audiences can enjoy musical offerings that are relevant and accessible, while being the place for top performers to share their music with the world.
You can listen to concerts from the 2024 BBC Proms on ABC Classic and the ABC Classic listen app through September.