Stars gathered in Manchester alongside thousands of community champions for a glittering celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The concert saw Manchester’s AO Arena transformed into a huge British street party, with bunting and fairy lights adorning the venue and bringing a cosy intimacy that fit the celebration perfectly.
The evening, hosted by former X Factor star Fleur East and comedy star Jason Manford, was a proud celebration of the best of British talent. The show was being filmed by ITV with plans to air it as a special in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
As well as performances from the likes of Ella Henderson, Mark Owen and Becky Hill, over 1,000 charities from the north west and beyond were in the audience, with over 1,000 members of the public participating in the show. Guests were able to apply for free tickets to the gig, organised by the National Lottery as its Big Jubilee Street Party.
The audience were warmed up with a sing-along to the classic Sweet Caroline. The atmosphere in the arena was really one of a party, with everyone singing (or shouting) along, and waving light-up wristbands that looked stunning.
Kicking off the performances was chart-topping pop star Becky Hill, who arrived in style in her very own Mini Cooper. She performed her new song ‘Run’ in an energetic performance that set the tone for the evening.
One of the most special moments of the night came when Mancunian personal trainer and community worker Javeno McLean was surprised with a very special award, presented to him by Dame Sarah Storey. His work helping some of Manchester’s most vulnerable to feel good about themselves through exercise earned him the Manchester Community Hero award.
Take That star Mark Owen then took to the stage in a gold shimmering jacket, performing a medley of songs from the boyband's impressive back catalogue. Naturally the upbeat chimes of 'Shine’, backed by a crew of umbrella-wielding dancers, saw the audience go wild.
There was a definite feeling of Northern pride to the show, as host Jason Manford made sure to celebrate the fact that Manchester was chosen to host the once in a lifetime celebration. The performances were separated by videos of the Queen throughout her 70 year reign, including her iconic coronation, as well as features from the public such as ‘When I met the Queen’.
Lady Blackbird sang David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ in a moving and arresting performance which had the audience swaying and waving their light-up wristbands. She was followed by the ever-popular House Gospel Choir, and a powerful spoken word performance which focused on the more serious notes of the evening.
It was followed by a performance of the national anthem, in honour of the Queen herself.
Then Ella Henderson and Nathan Dawe took to the stage to restore the audience’s energy and keep the feel-good factor going in the arena. Ella’s electric blue suit and Nathan’s skills on the deck kept spirits high, as they performed their new song ‘21 Reasons’.
The audience was also dotted with some of Britain’s favourite celebrities, including Corrie stars and Martin Kemp, who Jason Manford and Fleur East paid a visit to chat with at the end of the evening.
The night closed with everyone’s favourite pop group Steps performing a special medley of their classic and new songs, created just for the occasion.
With a huge variety of performances, and talent contributed from across the nation, the evening was a truly wonderful display of British talent, as well as a moving celebration of the 70 years Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne.
The show is due to air on ITV in June during the Jubilee weekend, with an exact date yet to be announced.
