Classical music is going wild. PBS Kids will premiere Carnival of the Animals, a half-hour animated special set to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns, on 16 November 2026.
The special features the Los Angeles philharmonic performing the French composer’s celebrated orchestral suite, conducted by Grammy-winning Gustavo Dudamel and recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl, an amphitheatre and public park in the Hollywood Hills. Dudamel’s 15-year-old son, Martín, narrates a brief introduction.
Set in an animal town gearing up for a carnival, the dialogue-free story follows a young hero on a quest to recover Big Lion’s stolen crown. Mischievous chickens, dancing tortoises, a prancing elephant and hapless penguin pianists add to the musical mayhem.
The animation combines hand-painted watercolour backgrounds, tactile textures and visual comedy, using music rather than dialogue to drive the story. The special brings all 14 sections of Saint-Saëns’ suite together in a single narrative, designed to introduce children aged two to eight to classical music.
Five companion digital shorts, including one featuring Dudamel, will showcase musicians from the LA Phil, a world-class orchestra based in Los Angeles and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, a youth development program founded by the LA Phil, highlighting the instruments behind the animal-inspired sounds.
Produced by Silver Creek Falls Entertainment and animated by Oscar-winning Passion Pictures Animation in association with the LA Phil, the film is directed by Bafta-nominated Siri Melchior. Dudamel serves as executive producer.
PBS Kids says the project aims to make orchestral music accessible to young audiences through storytelling, creativity and play. With a stolen crown and a full orchestra in pursuit, this carnival promises to strike a lively chord.
