Are Proms more popular this year?

[Dave2002]

I really didn't expect this. Saturday's Prom with music by Glazunov and Rachmaninov seems to be sold out. There was one seat available earlier today, though the RAH web site seems poor compared with previous years. It was not at all immediately obvious what was available, and what was not. Perhaps a Saturday Prom might be expected to be more popular, but I really didn't think this one would be of widespread interest, except perhaps for the odd nut like me.

Not sure whether I can face promming for it - may have to write this off to experience, and listen on R3 or do something else. I'll perhaps try for returns tomorrow, or Saturday morning.

So, are the concerts more popular with punters than usual this year?

[DracoM]

What does seem to be happening is fewer postings on the Forum, and many [most?] a bit less than ecstatic.
Has the Proms perhaps run out of road - at least as the BBC have now re-mixed it?

[jayne lee wilson]

As an HCH, radio prommer or at least a webcast one, after a good start to 2019, since the excellent Mahler 4, this past week's programmes have been less attractive for me - overfamiliar, operatic, a bit celebrity-led & fragmentary etc....

But from tomorrow (Friday) there's a much better run for a few days - we have intriguing programs from - Jurowski and LPO, LSO and Rattle, CBSO/MGT, Nelsons and Leipzig GO... tomorrow the OAE in Mendelssohn & more.... so.... get listening, get commenting....!

[Edgy 2]

As an HCH, radio prommer or at least a webcast one, after a good start to 2019, since the excellent Mahler 4, this past week's programmes have been less attractive for me - overfamiliar, operatic, a bit celebrity-led & fragmentary etc....

But from tomorrow (Friday) there's a much better run for a few days - we have intriguing programs from - Jurowski and LPO, LSO and Rattle, CBSO/MGT, Nelsons and Leipzig GO... tomorrow the OAE in Mendelssohn & more.... so.... get listening, get commenting....!

Looking forward to hearing Weinberg’s wonderful 3rd Symphony live in Brum on Wednesday and in my front room the following day

[cloughie]

As an HCH, radio prommer or at least a webcast one, after a good start to 2019, since the excellent Mahler 4, this past week's programmes have been less attractive for me - overfamiliar, operatic, a bit celebrity-led & fragmentary etc....

But from tomorrow (Friday) there's a much better run for a few days - we have intriguing programs from - Jurowski and LPO, LSO and Rattle, CBSO/MGT, Nelsons and Leipzig GO... tomorrow the OAE in Mendelssohn & more.... so.... get listening, get commenting....!

HCH?

[Edgy 2]

HCH?

Home concert hall ?

[bluestateprommer]

I really didn't expect this. Saturday's Prom with music by Glazunov and Rachmaninov seems to be sold out. There was one seat available earlier today, though the RAH web site seems poor compared with previous years. It was not at all immediately obvious what was available, and what was not. Perhaps a Saturday Prom might be expected to be more popular, but I really didn't think this one would be of widespread interest, except perhaps for the odd nut like me.

Not sure whether I can face promming for it - may have to write this off to experience, and listen on R3 or do something else. I'll perhaps try for returns tomorrow, or Saturday morning.

So, are the concerts more popular with punters than usual this year?

I think that what you're asking (perhaps contrary to what others here seem to be thinking, IMHO) is whether more people are coming to The Proms this year, compared to this time last year (rather than whether the programs are more "populist" in terms of musical taste and selections). I clearly have no idea, listening from across the pond, and the only people who really know are the sales staff at the RAH and the BBC who keep count of the tickets sold to each Prom for seats, as well as the count each day of Promming places sold. For actual RAH seats, if one is really data-driven, OCD, or has too much time on one's hands, one can monitor the RAH's site each day for each concert, and count the number of open seats available for sale prior to the day of the event, and up to the moment when that Prom goes off-sale for on-line ticket purchases. A truly sold-out Prom would show no seats available for purchase, to state the obvious. I can speculate on all sort of possible reasons for why attendance might be up, e.g. new folks are discovering The Proms and want to try them out, or long-distance travel funds are tight and The Proms make for a nice "staycation" option. All speculative on my part based on absolutely nothing, of course.

But if a relatively esoteric Prom like the Jurowski/LPO Prom is sold out, that's a good sign, isn't it? It might well be worth giving it a try to look for tickets on the day, because seats even to sold-out concerts as a general rule do tend to open up on the day. I've also seen one gentleman on many a night waving an extra ticket for sale before the concert, and it's the same gentleman every time. Plus, with the new loosening of the queue rules that PhilipT mentioned, you can show up early on Saturday to get your spot in the queue, go off and enjoy the day elsewhere, and take your place in the queue not too long before the concert (or perhaps after the pre-Prom talk at ICU).

[jayne lee wilson]

Home concert hall ?

That's the one... a tradition and a name reaching back to the American Radio Stations of the 1950s....

[LHC]

I think that what you're asking (perhaps contrary to what others here seem to be thinking, IMHO) is whether more people are coming to The Proms this year, compared to this time last year (rather than whether the programs are more "populist" in terms of musical taste and selections). I clearly have no idea, listening from across the pond, and the only people who really know are the sales staff at the RAH and the BBC who keep count of the tickets sold to each Prom for seats, as well as the count each day of Promming places sold. For actual RAH seats, if one is really data-driven, OCD, or has too much time on one's hands, one can monitor the RAH's site each day for each concert, and count the number of open seats available for sale prior to the day of the event, and up to the moment when that Prom goes off-sale for on-line ticket purchases. A truly sold-out Prom would show no seats available for purchase, to state the obvious. I can speculate on all sort of possible reasons for why attendance might be up, e.g. new folks are discovering The Proms and want to try them out, or long-distance travel funds are tight and The Proms make for a nice "staycation" option. All speculative on my part based on absolutely nothing, of course.

But if a relatively esoteric Prom like the Jurowski/LPO Prom is sold out, that's a good sign, isn't it? It might well be worth giving it a try to look for tickets on the day, because seats even to sold-out concerts as a general rule do tend to open up on the day. I've also seen one gentleman on many a night waving an extra ticket for sale before the concert, and it's the same gentleman every time. Plus, with the new loosening of the queue rules that PhilipT mentioned, you can show up early on Saturday to get your spot in the queue, go off and enjoy the day elsewhere, and take your place in the queue not too long before the concert (or perhaps after the pre-Prom talk at ICU).

You also have to bear in mind that 1,276 of the 5,272 seats in the Albert Hall are owned by private individuals. If they are not using them themselves, or giving them to friends, they are supposed to return them to the Box Office for resale, but this can happen fairly late in the day. Lots of these seats will also find themselves in the hands of the corporate hospitality re-sellers as well. This means a Prom could appear to be sold out because the Box Office has no tickets for sale, when in fact there are lots of seats that could still become available closer to the date of the concert.

[cloughie]

That's the one... a tradition and a name reaching back to the American Radio Stations of the 1950s....

I learn a lot from these threads. I now have a mental picture of a living room decked out like the RAH!

[Old Grumpy]

I learn a lot from these threads. I now have a mental picture of a living room decked out like the RAH!

Mushrooms and all?!!

OG

[Serial_Apologist]

Mushrooms and all?!!

OG

Nah - more like Three Chairs for the Proms!

[LMcD]

Nah - more like Three Chairs for the Proms!

And four candles in case the National Grid goes down again.

[Serial_Apologist]

And four candles in case the National Grid goes down again.

It's fork handles - you should know that!

[Dave2002]

I have just, hopefully, ordered a ticket for the Jurowski Glazunov concert. Probably one of those debenture seats - by those who "own" seats and boxes in the RAH.

At least it gets me there.