Romania is being promoted as a cultural and tourist destination throughout the 2026 BBC Proms, marking the country’s first tourism campaign at the classical music festival. A page titled “Discover Romania” appears in the official brochure accompanying each of this year’s 63 concerts.

The campaign is supported by Romania’s Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism, with the involvement of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in London.

Founded in 1895, the BBC Proms opened its 2026 edition on July 17. Romania’s first promotional campaign at the festival coincided with pianist Alexandra Dariescu’s BBC Proms debut.

Dariescu performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall on August 5 alongside Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Kahchun Wong. She played Nadia Boulanger’s Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, which was also performed at the festival for the first time.

According to ICR London, Alexandra Dariescu is the first Romanian female pianist invited to perform on the Royal Albert Hall stage during the BBC Proms. The official brochure for her concert also included a page dedicated to Romanian cultural diplomacy in the United Kingdom and the activity of ICR London.

“It is both a joy and a responsibility to make Romania’s beauty known abroad,” said Alin Grigore, director general of the Tourism Directorate within the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism.

“We have extraordinary stories to tell through our culture, our people, our heritage, and the places that make us unique. Our presence at BBC Proms is an opportunity to take this message further and inspire an international audience to discover Romania, turning it into a destination they want to visit,” he added.

Alin Grigore further said that promoting Romania means showing international audiences the country’s authenticity and the people who make it special.

“We are extremely pleased with this double first: Alexandra Dariescu’s highly successful BBC Proms debut and the promotion of Romania as a cultural and tourist destination at this prestigious festival,” stated, in turn, Aura Woodward, director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: ICR London)