Press Release: BMW & LSO renew partnership

BMW Group and the London Symphony Orchestra [LSO] announced live from the stage at Trafalgar Square on Saturday 13 July the renewal of their Principal Partnership which each year presents BMW Classics – the LSO’s open-air concert in the spectacular setting of London’s Trafalgar Square, free and open to everyone. The renewed partnership continues to support the Orchestra’s ambition to make great music-making accessible to as many people as possible, an ambition shared by BMW which supports a series of outdoor concerts with cultural organisations worldwide – all with access to great music at their core. During the day 10,000 people heard the LSO in Trafalgar Square, with over 10,500 more watching the stream on YouTube.

Over the past twelve years, the concerts in Trafalgar Square have enabled over 100,000 people to experience the LSO live in concert and since 2012 over 450 young London musicians have had the opportunity to perform alongside the LSO in front of capacity crowds. The renewal of this partnership will allow the LSO to build on this success, reaching a new and younger audience, and continuing its hugely valuable work in East London schools. Supported by the Mayor of London, the annual concert takes the LSO out of the concert hall and right into the heart of London.

The LSO has confirmed that Sir Antonio Pappano, who becomes the Orchestra’s Chief Conductor in September, will lead the event from the Trafalgar Square stage from 2025.

Walter Mertl, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance said to the capacity crowd at Trafalgar Square: “The BMW Group is deeply connected to the UK. After all, it is home to our great and truly British brands MINI and Rolls-Royce. Therefore, I am delighted that the BMW Group is continuing the long-standing partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra for another three years. The BMW Group has been supporting hundreds of cultural initiatives for more than 50 years. We firmly believe in the power of music and the arts to bring people together and to experience joy. We are looking forward to continuing the BMW Classics partnership with exciting, new ideas and Sir Antonio Pappano on the conductor’s podium. We welcome him and look forward to next year’s concert in Trafalgar Square.”

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the LSO, added, “We are hugely grateful to BMW for renewing this partnership for a further three years. BMW Classics is the highlight of our year and has become an essential part of London’s summer music calendar, with thousands enjoying great music live in Trafalgar Square and on YouTube. Thanks to the Mayor of London for allowing us to use the iconic venue year after year.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted the London Symphony Orchestra and BMW have renewed their long-standing partnership for another three years. The BMW Classics concerts are a firm favourite in the capital’s cultural calendar, bringing fantastic world-class music to Londoners and visitors for free in the heart of central London, as well as showcasing the next generation of talent on stage. I’m proud to be a partner in these events as we build a better London for everyone.”

Download 2024 LSO BMW Classics photographs