BBC Radio 2 axes Electric Proms

BBC Radio 2's five-year old Electric Proms music festival will not be held this year, after the event became the latest victim of the BBC's cost-cutting drive.

Launched in 2006 as a spinoff to the regular Proms, the Electric Proms has previously featured one-off performances from leading artists, such as Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach and Oasis.

However, last year's event - featuring a stellar line-up of Sir Elton John, Robert Plant and Neil Diamond - will be the final ever Electric Proms.

The event has fallen victim to the BBC's drive to achieve savings of 20% to its budget by 2017, as it copes with the extra financial obligations of its new licence fee deal.

Bob Shennan, the controller of Radio 2, said that the "current climate" means that the BBC must make some tough choices about how best to deliver live music programming.

"I feel that Radio 2 can achieve the same impact of the Electric Proms in an alternative, more cost effective way," Shennan said.

"I'm disappointed that the lifetime of Electric Proms has come to an end, but very proud of its fantastically rewarding run of creating new moments in music for the past five years."

Radio 2's head of music Jeff Smith added: "Radio 2 remains as committed as ever to live music programming, and we will replicate the spirit of Electric Proms within the live music schedule."