Experience BBC Proms, a festival evening with The Unthanks, Royal Northern Sinfonia and guests at Middlesbrough Town Hall on 23 July 2026. The programme blends folk, indie rock and orchestral music, so plan your visit and arrange your ticket purchase in advance
BBC Proms in Middlesbrough for the first time: opening with The Unthanks and Royal Northern Sinfonia
BBC Proms at Middlesbrough Town Hall is not conceived as a standalone classical concert, but as the beginning of a three-day festival programme spread across Middlesbrough, Gateshead and Sunderland. The evening is led by The Unthanks and Royal Northern Sinfonia under the direction of Ellie Slorach, and the concept is based on music rooted in North East England, expanded through orchestral arrangements and collaborations that cross the boundaries of folk, indie rock, chamber music and contemporary pop songwriting.
This is the first BBC Prom to be held in Middlesbrough. The regional programme is in its fifth year, but this is the first time it has connected three cities. The experience is closer to a carefully directed concert evening than an open festival: the programme takes place indoors, admission is for a specified time, and the ticket is valid for this event.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
The evening's concept: songs with a strong sense of place
At the heart of the programme are the voices of Rachel and Becky Unthank. Their interpretations often begin with traditional songs, local stories and the collective memory of northern England, while Adrian McNally shapes their material through piano, orchestration and production. In Middlesbrough, this approach will meet the fuller sound of Royal Northern Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra based in Gateshead.
The collaboration was not created solely for this festival evening. The Unthanks and Royal Northern Sinfonia performed joint programmes during the group's 20th-anniversary celebrations at the beginning of 2026, and the relationship between McNally and conductor Ellie Slorach developed through those performances. The Proms edition should therefore be viewed as a continuation of an already established musical language, now expanded with guests and repertoire from several songwriting circles.
Ellie Slorach works on orchestral, choral and multimedia projects that combine different genres. During this evening, she brings different performing identities together into a unified flow.
Confirmed performers and guests
- The Unthanks - Rachel and Becky Unthank, with musical direction and arrangement work by Adrian McNally
- Royal Northern Sinfonia - the chamber orchestra at the centre of the entire BBC Proms in the North East programme
- Ellie Slorach - conductor of the evening
- English Teacher - the band from Leeds and winner of the Mercury Prize for the album "This Could Be Texas"
- Conor O'Brien - songwriter, singer and creative core of the Villagers project
- Jodie Nicholson - songwriter and producer included through BBC Introducing
- Philip Selway - Radiohead's drummer, joining The Unthanks' band for this performance
The line-up clearly demonstrates how the programme differs from a standard orchestral evening. English Teacher brings art rock, indie and post-punk, Conor O'Brien combines folk and pop, Jodie Nicholson chamber pop and ethereal vocals, and Philip Selway the rhythmic experience of alternative rock.
A repertoire that combines catalogues
The programme has been published in sufficient detail to reveal the evening's dramaturgy. The Unthanks and Royal Northern Sinfonia will perform "Felton lonnin", "Lucky Gilchrist", "Flutter", "Sandgate Dandling Song" and "At First She Starts". This is the core of the concert, in which the recognisable harmonies of the Unthank sisters expand through strings, wind instruments and orchestral transitions.
English Teacher, performing with the orchestra, will present "This Could Be Texas", "Broken Biscuits" and "Albatross". It will be especially interesting to hear how the band's songs, known for sudden changes, spoken fragments and tense guitars, function within an orchestral framework. This is not a brief one-song guest appearance, but a separate block within the evening.
Conor O'Brien joins The Unthanks and the orchestra for the song "I Don't Want What I Don't Need", and then performs "First Responder" and "That Golden Time" with Royal Northern Sinfonia. Royal Northern Sinfonia also has its own moment with the second movement, "A Lament", from Tippett's work "Divertimento on 'Sellingers Round'". Jodie Nicholson performs "Move", while "Mount The Air" is planned as the evening performers' joint closing number.
This arrangement is not the classic sequence of "support act - main performer". The programme is constructed as a series of encounters with the orchestra: performers enter in different combinations, and the finale brings them together. This is also the clearest expression of the festival identity of the BBC Proms in this region - the orchestra is not a backdrop, but a shared medium through which different songs are reshaped.
Places are disappearing quickly.
Where this evening fits within the wider festival
BBC Proms in the North East runs from 23 to 25 July 2026 and connects three cities. Middlesbrough opens the programme, while the other events are held at The Glasshouse in Gateshead and The Fire Station in Sunderland. Visitors considering several dates should allow for travel between the cities, as this is not a festival concentrated in a single venue.
On the first day, alongside the concert in Middlesbrough, BBC Introducing Live at The Proms is held in Sage Two in Gateshead. The times overlap, so this event is not a realistic addition to the same evening for visitors attending the main concert. The following day's programme in Gateshead includes Morton Feldman's "Crippled Symmetry" and a later performance by Nadine Shah with Royal Northern Sinfonia. The final day brings a choral programme in the Concourse area of The Glasshouse and a Royal Northern Sinfonia concert featuring Mozart and Mendelssohn in Sunderland.
Free BBC Young Composer workshops are also held in Middlesbrough on the same day at the myplace centre. They are intended for young people aged 12 to 18 who create their own music in any style. This is an important addition to the festival programme because it shows that the residency is not limited to evening performances, but also includes the development of new songwriters and practical work with music.
Middlesbrough Town Hall as part of the experience
Middlesbrough Town Hall opened in 1889 and was designed by architect G. G. Hoskins. From the outset, the building combined civic functions and entertainment: it housed a courtroom, police cells, a fire station and offices, while the large concert hall developed its own musical history. Sergei Rachmaninov, Johann Strauss, Edward Elgar with the London Symphony Orchestra, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, David Bowie, The Clash and AC/DC performed there during different periods.
The Main Hall has a capacity of up to 1,151 visitors in a theatre-style layout, with stalls, a balcony and a gallery. Following the refurbishment that began in 2016, the historical details, organ and character of the auditorium were retained. Such a hall suits a programme that alternates between quiet vocal passages and larger orchestral climaxes.
The address is Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2QJ. Doors open at 18:30, and the performance begins at 19:30. The published running time is two hours, with an additional 20-minute interval. People under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The concert will be recorded for subsequent broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Arriving by train, bus or car
The venue is located in central Middlesbrough, which makes arriving without a car easier. It takes approximately five minutes to walk from the bus station to the entrance. The railway station is approximately ten minutes away on foot, and taxi ranks are available outside both transport hubs.
For those arriving by car, the most practical option is to choose one of the city-centre car parks in advance. Locations listed by the venue include mima, Corporation Road, Albert Road, Baker Street, Bedford Street, France Street, Buxton Street and Gurney Street. Council-operated municipal car parks are free after 18:00, but visitors should check the signs, operating hours and any restrictions at each individual location before leaving their vehicle.
Travellers from outside North East England should check evening return connections in advance. Accommodation is available in the town centre, within walking distance of the venue.
Admission, security checks and what to bring
Middlesbrough Town Hall carries out security checks and bag inspections. The venue recommends arriving at least 30 minutes before the start, and for this event the doors opening at 18:30 leaves enough time to enter, find your seat and buy a drink before the programme. The fastest entry can be expected with a minimal amount of personal belongings.
- Bring your ticket in the format specified at the time of purchase and check the seating information.
- Do not plan to bring your own alcohol - only alcoholic drinks purchased at the venue may be brought into the hall.
- Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes are not permitted inside the building.
- Expect a bag inspection and allow sufficient time before the start.
- If you are collecting your ticket from the box office, have your order number and the information required for confirmation ready.
No special festival wristbands, camping areas or VIP spaces connected with this date have been announced. The organisation is focused on individual admission to the concert hall and an allocated place in the auditorium, which is important for visitors accustomed to multi-day outdoor festivals.
Venue accessibility
The building has step-free access from street level, and the main entrance is on Albert Road. The Main Hall is on the first floor and is accessible by lift. The stalls are adapted for wheelchair users, with designated accessible places closer to the front of the hall. The balcony and gallery are not accessible by lift, so it is important to select the appropriate section when booking.
The building has accessible toilets, induction loops in most areas and permits entry with an assistance dog. A personal-assistant ticket is available for people who require another person's assistance, subject to prior arrangement and proof of eligibility. Visitors with specific needs should notify the venue before arrival, particularly if they require accessible seating, a large-print programme or help moving through the historic building.
What kind of audience and atmosphere to expect
This evening may attract several audiences that do not always meet in the same hall: listeners of contemporary folk, followers of The Unthanks, lovers of chamber and orchestral music, fans of English Teacher and Villagers, and visitors experiencing the Proms outside London for the first time. Because of the published repertoire, knowledge of the classical canon is not necessary in order to follow the programme. The main connection is not genre, but the way in which a song takes on a new form through the orchestra.
The atmosphere will probably be more focused than at a typical rock performance. Many songs depend on their lyrics, close vocal harmonies and the gradual growth of the arrangements. At the same time, the performances by English Teacher, Conor O'Brien and the joint closing number create enough variation to prevent the evening from remaining at a single tempo or mood. The historic interior of the Main Hall further emphasises the contrast between a traditional venue and contemporary songwriting voices.
For a first-time Proms visitor, the most useful approach is to arrive without expecting a strictly formal concert. The programme is precisely structured and performed by a professional orchestra, but the repertoire includes indie, folk, art rock and chamber pop. That openness is the evening's central idea: to show how orchestral sound can belong to different musical communities, rather than to only one repertoire or type of audience.
Sources:
- The Glasshouse - performers, confirmed repertoire, duration, age restriction and the context of BBC Proms in the North East
- Middlesbrough Town Hall - door-opening time, address, security checks, accessibility, transport and parking
- Middlesbrough Council - the first BBC Prom in Middlesbrough, BBC Young Composer workshops and recording for BBC Radio 3
- North East Combined Authority - the three-day festival schedule in Middlesbrough, Gateshead and Sunderland
- The Unthanks - history of the collaboration with Royal Northern Sinfonia and the context of the group's 20th anniversary
- Ellie Slorach - professional biography and experience in cross-genre orchestral projects
- Official Charts - Mercury Prize for the album "This Could Be Texas" by English Teacher