Following three sold-out seasons, Gladiator returned to the Royal Albert Hall as part of the venue’s majestic Films in Concert series — marking 25 years since Ridley Scott’s landmark film first captivated audiences.
A five-time Academy Award winner, including Best Picture and Best Original Score, Gladiator has long since become a modern classic. But there is something truly electrifying about experiencing it with Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard’s unforgettable score performed live.
New era of theatre
‘Films in Concert’ events — where blockbuster films are screened alongside a live orchestra — are proving a hit with younger audiences and helping to revitalise concert halls around the world. From Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, these immersive experiences pair iconic soundtracks with the thrill of live performance. It’s cinema, reimagined.
In New York, nearly half of attendees at film concert series were first-timers, many of them young. Its popularity is growing globally, with showings at the famous Sydney Opera House in Australia.
The Royal Albert Hall have also embraced the trend, last year hosting Top Gun: Maverick which even included a surprise appearance from Tom Cruise. We had to see this for ourselves with the epic Gladiator and its iconic score.
Emotional highs and devastating lows
Presented by CineConcerts, the event transported filmgoers deep into the world of ancient Rome. Russell Crowe’s Maximus — once a revered general in the Roman army — is betrayed, enslaved, and forced to fight as a gladiator. His mission: to take revenge on Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), reclaim his honour, and free his people.
Even 25 years on, the film remains a masterclass in cinematic storytelling — raw, emotional, and epic in scale. It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking, and elevated to new highs in this format.
Timothy Henty masterfully conducted the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra through Zimmer’s towering score, accompanied by signature vocals from Clara Sanabras and the powerful voices of The Philharmonia Chorus. Ancient instruments like the duduk and ney added a visceral, timeless quality that brought a deeper authenticity to the music.
Seamless blend of music and film
At times, it was easy to forget that a live orchestra was playing just beneath the screen — so seamless was the blend between score and screen. The orchestra would pause in complete silence during dialogue-driven moments, only to return with force in battle scenes or emotional peaks. When Maximus commanded, “At my signal, unleash hell,” during the Battle of Germania, the audience erupted into spontaneous applause — a moment of shared cinematic awe.
As fans know, the second half of Gladiator is an emotional gauntlet — hope, sorrow, betrayal, and the bittersweet triumph of Maximus’ final moments. Zimmer’s score elevated every beat, every line, every tear. The tension between Maximus and Commodus gained a new edge with the orchestra’s intensity, amplifying each look and word with crushing emotional weight.
The power of music
By the final scene, the audience was visibly touched. And as the credits rolled — with the orchestra playing through to the very last note — almost no one moved. People stayed in their seats, watching, listening, absorbing.
In a world of digital streaming and short attention spans, this performance reminded us of the pure, collective power of cinema and music. It wasn’t just a film. It was a resurrection.
This might be the best way to watch a film — not just one of the best films ever made but with a live orchestra in an iconic London theatre, shared emotionally between thousands of people. It’s an experience not to be missed.
More information about Gladiator in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall can be found here.
Image credits: © The Royal Albert Hall
