The BBC has announced a special live event to mark the 100th birthday of the beloved naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. The programme, titled David Attenborough's 100 Years On Planet Earth, will air on his birthday, Friday, May 8, at 8:30 PM on BBC One and iPlayer.
Star-Studded Lineup
The 90-minute celebration will be hosted by Kirsty Young and will feature a range of broadcasters including Sir Michael Palin, Steve Backshall, and Chris Packham. They will come together to reflect on Sir David's extraordinary impact and legacy in the world of natural history.
Musical Performances
The event will include performances from musicians who have contributed to his iconic BBC Planet Earth series. Dan Smith, frontman of the Brit Award-winning band Bastille, will join the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform their track Pompeii, which was featured in Planet Earth III. Icelandic band Sigur Ros will play Hoppipolla, a piece used in promotions for Planet Earth and Planet Earth II.
Memorable Wildlife Moments
The evening will bring together some of the most unforgettable wildlife moments from the BBC's natural history archive. The BBC Concert Orchestra will perform scores associated with iconic scenes, such as the dramatic snakes and iguanas chase from Planet Earth II and the powerful wave-washing orcas sequence from Frozen Planet II.
Additional performances include 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.
Production Details
The event will be staged and produced by BBC Studios Music Productions and the Natural History Unit, in partnership with The Open University. It will be broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Kirsty Young commented: "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."
