Festival of Remembrance 2026: Alfie Boe, Tom Odell and Mica Paris at the Royal Albert Hall – how to watch again

Updated 8 Nov 2026, 08:30 · First published 8 Nov 2026

The Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance returned to the Royal Albert Hall last night, broadcast on BBC One and now available to watch again on BBC iPlayer. Clive Myrie presented the evening, which ended, as it does every year, with a two-minute silence as poppy petals fell from the roof of the hall.

This year’s line-up mixed West End, pop and soul voices: Alfie Boe, Tom Odell, Mica Paris, Rita Wilson and James Emmanuel performed alongside the Band of the RAF Regiment and the Bands of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth and Collingwood.

Read more: Happy Diwali 2026: how London is celebrating the festival of lights today

A London tradition since 1927

The Royal British Legion has staged the festival every year since 1927, and the BBC has broadcast it for decades. Members of the Royal Family traditionally attend, and the evening honours servicemen and women, veterans and their families through music, readings and personal stories.

The moment most viewers wait for comes at the end: the hall falls silent and thousands of poppy petals drift down onto the serving personnel and veterans gathered on the arena floor.

Remembrance Sunday today

The festival leads into Remembrance Sunday. The National Service of Remembrance takes place at the Cenotaph on Whitehall this morning, with the two-minute silence at 11am, followed by the Royal British Legion’s march past of veterans.