CORONATION CONCERT: FULL LIST OF PERFORMERS

A unique Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle to celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort. It will air on BBC from 8pm on Sunday 7 May with BBC Radio 2 capturing the atmosphere of the Coronation Concert live from Windsor Castle from 6pm on the day.

British pop group Take That, international superstar Lionel Richie, global pop icon Katy Perry, international opera star Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, and classical-soul composer/producer Alexis Ffrench are some of the artists who will grace the stage at The Coronation Concert.

Singer-songwriters Paloma Faith and Tiwa Savage, rock ‘n’ roll legend Steve Winwood, internationally renowned pianist Lang Lang and pop star Nicole Scherzinger will be part of the line-up for the Coronation Concert on Sunday 7th May.

They will be joined by singer Olly Murs, Pete Tong Ibiza Classics, featuring Vula and JERUB, and winner of The Piano, Lucy, whilst Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor will deliver a spoken word performance.

At the centre of the show, the Royal Shakespeare Company will perform excerpts from a Shakespeare play, featuring Ncuti Gatwa, who received an Ian Charleson Commendation for his role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at Home Theatre Manchester and played Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Mei Mac, Olivier Award nominee for My Neighbour Totoro.

The Royal patronages will perform a beautiful arrangement of a classic song from West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by members of the Royal Opera Chorus. Principal dancers with The Royal Ballet, Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé, will also perform a bespoke piece of choreography for the occasion.

The BBC has also announced that British singer-songwriter Zak Abel is stepping in to perform at Sunday’s Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, replacing Freya Ridings, who has had to pull out, due to being unwell and therefore unable to perform.

Londoner Zak will showcase his soulful vocals in a duet alongside classical-soul composer/producer Alexis Ffrench at the concert to celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen, which will be broadcast from 8pm on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, Radio 2 and BBC Sounds on Sunday 7th May.

Gary, Mark and Howard from Take That said, “This will be our first live show since the Odyssey Tour, four years ago in 2019, and what a stage to come back on! A huge live band and orchestra, a choir, military drummers, the backdrop of Windsor Castle and the celebration of a new King. We can’t wait.”

Richie said, “To share the stage with the other performers at The Coronation Concert is a once-in-a-lifetime event and it will be an honor and a celebration.”

Perry said, “I am excited to be performing at the Coronation Concert, and helping to shine a further light on the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund, whose work includes on-ground initiatives to fundraising, with the aim to find solutions to child trafficking.”

Bocelli said: “I have had the great honour of singing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions. It is now another great honour to be asked to perform at the Coronation Concert of King Charles III. My joy and excitement is multiplied as I have the chance to duet with my dear friend and superb baritone, Sir Bryn Terfel, performing an iconic song of love and collective solidarity.”

Ridings said: “I feel truly overwhelmed and in awe of the opportunity to sing at the Coronation of His Majesty Charles III - it feels like a “pinch me” once in a life time moment in history and I’m feeling very honoured to have been asked. Excited to be playing with a wonderful orchestra and alongside the incredible Alexis Ffrench on piano!”

Ffrench said, “To have been invited to perform in the Coronation Concert held in celebration of His Majesty King Charles III is an honour of the utmost magnitude. Such moments are unequivocally iconic and exceedingly rare, and I am delighted to share the stage with the wonderfully talented Freya Ridings on this momentous occasion.”

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, said, “We are bringing the nation together for this once in a generation occasion, broadcast exclusively across the BBC live from Windsor Castle. We have a world class line up of performers to look forward to for what promises to be a very special night of celebration and entertainment.”