Royal Albert Hall at night, South Kensington, London.

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Last night of the Proms

London’s Royal Albert Hall will reverberate with music later as it hosts the Last Night of the Proms, bringing the curtain down on eight weeks of daily classical music concerts, a summer tradition since 1895. Expect flags, glitzy dresses, tuxedos and Union Flag hats as a medley of British singalongs from Rule Britannia to Jerusalem are belted out by “Prommers”. The flag-waving might not be everyone’s cup of tea but its fans describe it as the world’s greatest classical music festival, bringing the classics to the widest possible audience.

Most of the Proms concerts are hosted here at the Grade I listed Royal Albert Hall, one of the UK’s most recognisable buildings. Opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria, who named it after her late husband, Prince Albert, its design was inspired by the amphitheatres of Ancient Rome. The civil engineers who designed it succeeded in creating a structurally sound and visually striking building but from the start, its main auditorium was plagued by an echo that became infamous.

Various fixes were attempted but it wasn’t until the 1960s when acoustic diffusing discs, nicknamed mushrooms, were installed on the ceiling that things really improved. They’ve been upgraded since but were so successful they were also used at the Sydney Opera House. The Royal Albert Hall has retained its place as the nation’s home of live performances be they rock concerts, boxing matches or the annual Festival of Remembrance.