Special Live Event To Celebrate Sir David Attenboroughs 100th Birthday

Broadcasters including Sir Michael Palin, Steve Backshall and Chris Packham are to come together for a special live event to celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.

Hosted by Kirsty Young, the evening will be broadcast from London’s Royal Albert Hall and include performances from musicians who have featured on his BBC Planet Earth TV series.

Dan Smith, frontman of Brit Award‑winning act Bastille, will join the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform their track Pompeii, which was featured in Planet Earth III, while Icelandic band Sigur Ros will play Hoppipolla, which was used in the promotion of Planet Earth and Planet Earth II.

The event will combine some of the most memorable wildlife moments from the BBC’s natural history archive, while those who have worked with Sir David – including Backshall, Packham, and Sir Michael – will reflect on his impact and legacy.

Young said: “Sir David’s gift to the world has been a life spent exquisitely revealing Earth’s wonders to us all.

“The very least he deserves is a big 100th birthday bash at the Royal Albert Hall.

“I’m very happy indeed, as the host, to be able to invite everyone to the party.”

The BBC Concert Orchestra will perform the scores associated with some of the most unforgettable moments from Sir David’s programmes, including the dramatic snakes and iguanas chase from Planet Earth II, and the powerful wave-washing orcas sequence from Frozen Planet II.

There will also be music from British singer Sienna Spiro and Paraguayan harpist Francisco Yglesias, who will play the traditional Pajaro Campana – a piece that featured in Zoo Quest, Sir David’s first wildlife programme.

The 90-minute programme will be jointly staged and produced by BBC Studios Music Productions and Natural History Unit in partnership with The Open University.

David Attenborough’s 100 Years On Planet Earth will air on his birthday, May 8.

Published: 28/04/2026 by Radio NewsHub