BBC Proms festival goers faint in sweltering Royal Albert Hall

Two concertgoers collapsed during a BBC Proms concert as the capital was hit by one of the hottest days of the year.

The audience members fainted during a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall, in southwest London, on Monday, as temperatures outside reached 29C.

In a live recording of the show, a dramatic thump can be heard twice around 15 minutes into the show as spectators slumped to the floor.

One member was taken out to the box office and given new tickets for another date, while the other was able to return to the auditorium, it is understood.

Were you affected by this incident? Email alexander.butler@independent.co.uk

The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall

The popular tradition of Promming (standing in the Arena or Gallery areas of the Royal Albert Hall) is central to the unique and informal atmosphere of the BBC Proms.

For each concert at the Royal Albert Hall there are around 1,000 standing places in the Arena and Gallery, a handful of seats in the Choir, or on very few occasions seats in the Rear Rausing Circle, for Prommers.

BBC Proms 2024 is set to run between 19 July and 14 September. It will feature performances of music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and more.

A Royal Albert Hall spokesperson told The Independent: “The cooling system was on throughout the evening yesterday. We invested a huge amount of money in that new system, which has been in operation since 2021.

“The highest average temperature in the auditorium yesterday was 24.5C. We also provide water coolers and water jugs around the building.”