The award-winning singer George Ezra has been confirmed as the first act for the Queen’s jubilee event the Platinum Party at the Palace, celebrating the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
The 4 June concert will have an in-person audience of 10,000, half of which will be members of the public from a ticket ballot, the BBC reported, to be awarded in pairs.
The Queen, 95, reached 70 years on the throne on 6 February. This year will see a four-day UK bank holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June alongside a slate of celebratory events.
“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert, what an incredible honour to be asked,” 28-year-old singer said in a statement, adding he will “bring pop and roll to the palace.”
The party will be formed of three stages and feature projections across the face of the palace. The event will feature a lineup of global pop and rock artists, opera singers and a full live orchestra.
People can apply for the free ticket ballot online until 23 March.
“The remaining tickets will be made available to charitable organisations including those who work in support of young people, the military, the environment and those who supported communities during the pandemic,” a palace statement reads.
The Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012 featured artists including Elton John, Brian May, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.
Meanwhile, the Queen – who tested positive for Covid on Sunday – held her weekly audience with the prime minister over the phone despite her illness. “Her majesty did speak to the prime minister this evening,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
It came after the monarch cancelled virtual events on Tuesday as she continued to suffer from mild cold-like symptoms of the virus. Boris Johnson, the prime minister, told MPs in parliament on Monday that the Queen’s positive test was a reminder that the virus “has not gone away”.
