David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday Celebration: Sigur Rós and Bastille to Perform at Royal Albert Hall

LONDON — A star-studded musical celebration honoring Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on May 8, 2026, featuring performances by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós and British indie pop group Bastille, the BBC has announced.

The live event, organized by the BBC, will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer starting at 8:30 p.m., offering viewers a chance to join the festivities from home. Kirsty Young, the former host of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, will serve as the evening’s master of ceremonies, guiding the audience through a program that blends music, spoken tributes, and highlights from Attenborough’s seven-decade career in broadcasting.

Musical Tributes from Planet Earth Collaborators

The concert will feature performances of songs that have become synonymous with Attenborough’s landmark natural history series, Planet Earth. Bastille frontman Dan Smith will take the stage alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform a classical arrangement of the band’s hit single “Pompeii,” which was prominently featured in Planet Earth III. The orchestral version promises to reimagine the track in a way that complements the grandeur of Attenborough’s documentaries.

Sigur Rós, the critically acclaimed Icelandic band, will perform their beloved song “Hoppípolla,” a track that has been closely associated with Attenborough’s work since its inclusion in the trailer for the original Planet Earth series in 2006. The band later released a new version of the song in 2016 specifically for Planet Earth II, further cementing its connection to the broadcaster’s legacy. In a statement released at the time of the 2016 collaboration, Sigur Rós reflected on the fragility of the natural world, noting, “In Iceland we are blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of wild and untamed places. But even here, in the very furthest flung corners of Europe’s largest wilderness, the scars of human industry are visible.”

“If lost the Icelandic highlands are not recoverable. Around the world the story is the same. the traffic, literally, going in one direction. Sigur Rós are proud to be associated with Planet Earth II and its all-important mission to hold us rapt in understanding of, and respect for, this endlessly fascinating, utterly surprising and ultimately fragile place we are lucky enough to call home for a short while.”

The BBC Concert Orchestra will also perform orchestral scores from some of the most iconic moments in Attenborough’s documentaries, including the dramatic iguana and snake chase sequence from Planet Earth II. Adding a touch of nostalgia, singer Sienna Spiro and Paraguayan harpist Francisco Yglesias will perform “Pajaro Campana,” a piece that originally appeared in Attenborough’s first wildlife program, Zoo Quest, which aired in the 1950s.

Guest Speakers and Career Highlights

The event will also feature appearances by several prominent figures who will reflect on Attenborough’s impact on conservation, science, and broadcasting. Among the guest speakers are comedian and actor Sir Michael Palin, wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, and naturalist Chris Packham, each of whom will share personal insights into Attenborough’s influence on their careers and the broader environmental movement.

Kirsty Young, the event’s host, expressed her enthusiasm for the celebration, telling the BBC, “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 as the host, to be able to invite everyone to the party.”

In addition to the live performances, the event will include archival footage showcasing some of the most memorable wildlife moments from Attenborough’s career, as well as selections from the BBC’s extensive natural history archive. The combination of music, spoken tributes, and visual highlights aims to create a fitting tribute to a broadcaster whose work has inspired generations of viewers.

Event Details and Additional Programming

The celebration is a collaborative production by BBC Studios Music Productions and the BBC’s Natural History Unit, in partnership with The Open University. Tickets for the live event at the Royal Albert Hall are available for purchase, with further details accessible on the venue’s official website.

The BBC has also planned additional programming to coincide with Attenborough’s milestone birthday. This includes a rebroadcast of his 1979 series Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure, which will feature new interviews with Sir David and the original production team. A new five-episode series titled Secret Garden will explore the hidden stories within Britain’s gardens, offering practical advice on how the public can support struggling wildlife species.

Recent Work by the Performing Artists

For Bastille, the Royal Albert Hall performance follows the release of their first new single in three years, “Save My Soul,” which debuted at the end of 2025. The band has maintained a strong connection to Attenborough’s work, with “Pompeii” serving as a recurring musical motif in Planet Earth III.

Sigur Rós, meanwhile, held a residency at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2025, where they performed their classic track “Ára bátur” for the first time. This summer, the band will embark on the final leg of their UK and European orchestral tour in support of their 2023 album ÁTTA, which marked their first new release in a decade.

The May 8 concert promises to be a unique blend of music, storytelling, and environmental advocacy, reflecting the themes that have defined Attenborough’s career. As one of the most influential figures in natural history broadcasting, his work has not only educated audiences about the planet’s wonders but also highlighted the urgent need for conservation efforts. The event at the Royal Albert Hall will serve as both a celebration of his life and a reminder of the ongoing challenges facing the natural world.