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BBC Broadcasts Attenborough’s “100 Years” Live Concert

4/29/2026

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Summary

BBC Presents Concert

BBC will broadcast “David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth” on May 8 at 8:30 pm on BBC One, hosted at Royal Albert Hall by Kirsty Young.
Dan Smith, Sigur Rós and Sienna Spiro with Francisco Yglesias will perform with the BBC Concert Orchestra, which will also play scores from Planet Earth II and Frozen Planet II.
BBC Studios Music Productions, the Natural History Unit and The Open University produce the programme.

Summary

Attenborough Turns 100

A televised special marks Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday with a big celebration.
The programme features reflections from public figures and leading conservation and wildlife-filmmaking voices.
The Open University partners with the broadcast to provide linked academic resources for viewers.
Iconic wildlife footage and live music are combined to create an immersive educational experience.

History

Historical Context

BBC’s Natural History Unit launched its landmark series *Life on Earth* on 16 January 1979, costing over £1 million and delivering 13 hour-long episodes that reached about twelve million UK viewers. Building on the earlier *World About Us* strand (1967-86), the series cemented televised wildlife education, a legacy celebrated on 8 May 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall for Sir David Attenborough’s centenary.

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BBC Presents Concert

BBC will broadcast “David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth” on May 8 at 8:30 pm on BBC One, hosted at Royal Albert Hall by Kirsty Young.
Dan Smith, Sigur Rós and Sienna Spiro with Francisco Yglesias will perform with the BBC Concert Orchestra, which will also play scores from Planet Earth II and Frozen Planet II.
BBC Studios Music Productions, the Natural History Unit and The Open University produce the programme.

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