Celebrating James Bond at the Proms

Proms on TV, 2026
Celebrating James Bond at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall

Nick Mohammed presents the latest installment of what I'm calling the 'popular' Proms. This Saturday night is a celebration of all things Bond. James Bond. Cue the usual one-liners and gentle innuendos. Bond does seem to be synonymous with a bank holiday weekend; from Alan Partridge's infamous VHS Bond-a-thon, to today's repeats on ITV 3.

I have always had something of a James Bond quality about my person, I think to myself, as I ingest more pizza and beer. This week I have opted for my more tradional-style Maßkrug, picked up from Munich's Oktoberfest in 2013. Ale and pizza once again obtained from my local Aldi. I have also recently acquired a gorgeous 'Bond at 50' Blu ray set for a steal of £20 - so I place it strategically on the coffee table to set the mood, and to remind myself of a good bargain got.

The show naturally opens with Monty Norman's main Bond theme tune, and a variety of singers hold court on the stage as we run through a roster of hit Bond songs. Highlights for me are Licence to Kill, Diamonds Are Forever [particularly the spine-tingling opening bars, as always], and Goldfinger.

Lulu herself delivers her Man with the Golden Gun, which is a terrific feat for a centenarian. 

Live and Let Die takes me back to the intense heat of Paul McCartney's stage pyrotechnics at his incredible 2015 show in Liverpool, and Skyfall to Adele's atmospheric Manchester gig the year later. Brilliant stuff.

Louis Armstrong's We Have All the Time in the World is a very good choice to close the show and, to finish, I may ponder on the age-old question: who, actually, 'did it better' ?

For me, Brosnan is probably the one. Mostly for the fact that he was the current Bond at the time I was growing up. I will also add - with an element of male begrudging - that he does embody everything one would expect Bond to be. That being said, when I saw Ben Elton on his Authentic Stupidity tour at the Warrington Parr Hall in 2024, he made a proclamation that Roger Moore was his favourite Bond, and for one simple reason: he knew it was a laugh.