Black Panther will become the first Marvel Studios movie to get the Films in Concert treatment at the Royal Albert Hall when the orchestral extravaganza arrives at the venue in May.
The European premiere of Black Panther in Concert on Saturday 27 May will feature the 2018 film screened in full, accompanied by Chineke! Orchestra performing Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar®-winning score live on stage.
The show is the headline event of the venue’s 2023 Films in Concert programme, which will also include performances of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Matthew Todd, Interim Director of Programming and Engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’re delighted to announce the European premiere of Black Panther in Concert. This dynamic and progressive movie changed the landscape of superhero movies, and the chance to experience it in this auditorium, with that stunning score performed by one of the world’s leading orchestras, promises to be an unforgettable experience.”
The Hall will be providing an allocation of top-tier tickets, priced at just £1, for community groups as part of its Engagement and audience development programme.
In 2018, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther became a global sensation and cultural phenomenon, with Rolling Stone writing: “The film lights up the screen with a full-throttle blast of action and fun. That’s to be expected. But what sneaks up and floors you is the film’s racial conscience and profound, astonishing beauty.”
It was soundtracked by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Creed, Tenet), whose score won both the Academy Award and the Grammy.
The music will be performed by Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, which was founded by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE. Their seven appearances at the Hall since 2017 include a triumphant debut Prom and a groundbreaking collaboration with Detroit techno pioneer, Carl Craig.
Chi-chi Nwanoku said: “This exciting alignment of Black superheroes from the seminal Marvel movie Black Panther and the majority Black and ethnically diverse Chineke! Orchestra will be a truly powerful collaboration, and one to remember. We’ve wanted to play this soundtrack since the day Black Panther was released on screen and there’s no better venue to perform it at than the phenomenally iconic Royal Albert Hall.”
The show will also feature a very special appearance from Senagelese talking-drum soloist, Massamba Diop, one of the stars of the original soundtrack.
The Hall’s Films in Concert series launched in 2009, building on the Hall’s heritage as a place to experience cinema with live musical accompaniment during the heyday of silent film. In the past 14 years, the venue has curated a programme of classic films whose unforgettable scores have been performed by the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Titles have ranged from beloved musicals (Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story) to canonical classics (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather) and contemporary blockbusters (Interstellar, Skyfall). The premiere of Jurassic Park in Concert broke all box-office records, selling out its 20,000 tickets in just 24 hours.
Creatives who’ve appeared at the shows have included director James Cameron (Titanic), actor Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) and composer David Arnold (Casino Royale), along with the cast and crew of Indian smash-hit Baahubali, which in 2019 became the first foreign-language film to feature in the series.
Tickets for Black Panther in Concert go on general sale from 10am Friday at www.royalalberthall.com, with tickets available to the Hall’s Friends and Patrons from 10am Thursday. Due to popular demand, two more performances of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers have also been added to the calendar.
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
