The nation is getting set to party as we approach the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and there is a blockbuster summer ahead, even before the jam-packed official weekend kicks off.
From Doo-Wop tea dances, and a classic car run of 70 vehicles – one from each year of the Queen’s reign - to plenty of pageantry action and concerts, here is your ultimate guide to the Platinum Jubilee events...
Showstopping flying
The RAF Cosford Airshow in Wolverhampton returns this summer to tell the 70-year-old story of aviation and royalty. Visitors can get hands-on experiences immersive story-telling.
When: Sunday, June 12. Tickets £34.
Singalong at the Tower
The renowned Choir of the Chapels Royal at the Tower of London will perform a concert reflecting the themes of coronation and queenhood at the historic St Peter ad Vincula chapel - the burial place of some of the most famous prisoners executed at the Tower, including Queen Elizabeth I’s mother, Anne Boleyn.
When: Thursday, April 28. Tickets £25.
Win a Jubilee medal
Portsmouth’s Platinum Jubilee 70K Ultra Run – will see participants run a kilometre for each year since the Queen’s ascension – and receive a Jubilee medal, right, at the finish line.
Other events include a multi-sport 20km run, 5km kayak, and 45km bike ride.
When: Sunday, June 5. £40 entry fee includes ferry crossing.
Concert of the Queen’s fave tunes
In 1958 the Queen attended the glittering gala performance of My Fair Lady on London’s Drury Lane - and enjoyed the songs so much she could have danced all night!
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will hold a concert at the Symphony Hall celebrating the Queen’s love of the musical as well as many of her other favourite songs.
Plus music played at the 1953 coronation and a bagpipes solo courtesy of Master of the Queen’s Music composer Sir Pieter Maxwell Davies’ An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise.
When: Thursday, June 2. Tickets start £13.
Ballroom afte rnoon Tea, Doo-Wop and Dancing Queen
Whitby’s Hetty and Betty Ballrooom is hosting the Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea Party as it’s transformed into the ultimate Doo Wop party palace - transporting guests back to the merrymaking that heralded Britain’s new female monarch.
After prosecco afternoon tea, guests can enjoy vintage tunes including Fred Astaire’s Cheek to Cheek and Vera Lynn’s White Cliffs of Dover.
Lead singer Christopher Stewart says: “We’ll also perform In A Golden Coach There’s a Heart of Gold, a song written for her coronation, some 1960s pop which I read the Queen is a fan of and some cheeky numbers like Dancing Queen.”
When: Friday, June 3. Tickets start £26.64.
70 cars for 70 years car run
70 British cars - one from each year of the Queen’s reign - will be travelling 70 miles through Cornwall from Bodmin to Penzance.
One of the earliest motors featuring in the run is a 1952 MG TD, and the latest is a 2022 electric Jaguar.
The event, organised by the Rotary Club of Bodmin, will honour the Queen’s work in the army as a mechanic and driver during the Second World War.
Co-organiser Peter Old says: “ We wanted to represent the Queen’s service in the army and interest in Britain’s motoring industry, And of course, she deserves it!”
When: Sunday, June 5. £25 entry fee includes free bacon butties, a Monte Carlo style car plaque and a commemorative mug.
Derby Day
A few days after her coronation, the Queen attended Epsom Downs racecourse to watch her first runner in the Derby. Aureole, bred by her late father, King George VI, finished second.
It is the closest she has come to a victory in the race. So, could this be her year?
Accompanied by family members, The Queen will join racing fans on Derby Day at Epsom- part of the official Platinum Jubilee Weekend 2022
Phil White, who runs Epsom as London Regional Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “To be afforded this opportunity to celebrate the contribution she has made to horseracing, to British life and the Commonwealth, is a real honour for all of us.”
When: Saturday, June 4. Tickets start £26.
Tractor rides and alpacas
Amelia Trust Farm and donkey sanctuary, will host a festival honouring the Queen’s love for the countryside, including a special trail, tractor rides, lawn games, food and drink and craft stalls.
Visitors to the farm in Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, will be able to see the farm’s animals - donkeys, pigs and alpacas
When: Monday, May 30. Tickets start £5.
Red Hot Chili Pipers and Motorcycle Display
TV presenter Stephen Mulhern will host a Platinum Jubilee celebrations on a newly constructed arena on the site of a former open cast mine.
The Platinum Jubilee Youth Spectacular at St Ninians, near Kelty, Fife, is inspired by National Pride and performers include the Red Hot Chili Pipers, Massed Army Cadet Force Brass and Woodwind Bands – 100 musicians from across the UK.
The Imps Motorcycle Display Team will also be showcasing their awe-inspiring skills.
The event will also feature Scouts, Guides, the Boys’ Brigade and police cadets as well as Highland dancing.
When: Saturday & Sunday June 18 &19
Vintage Garden Party
Her Majesty visited Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland and Gardens on her 1953 Coronation Tour – with a vintage garden party.
In the castle’s state dining room, visitors can see a replica of the state dinner held then and the tableware includes the original dessert service used.
An official gun salute starts proceedings before a vintage party in the same garden setting as 69 years ago - and learn how to swing dance.
When: Thursday, June 2 to Sunday June 5. Tickets start £17.
Party at the Palace
An evening knees-up in the grounds of Buckingham Palace will bring together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant moments from the Queen’s seven-decade reign.
No names have yet been announced - but it promises to be even bigger and better than the Diamond Jubilee when the nation was entertained by Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, and Kylie Minogue.
And who can forget Madness, performing on the palace roof?
When: Saturday, June 4
Massive street party
The Manchester arena floor will be transformed into a street party space with Comedian Jason Manford and singer Fleur East as hosts of the National Lottery’s Big Jubilee Street Party.
The confirmed line-up includes Kaiser Chiefs, Becky Hill, Steps, Tom Grennan, House Gospel Choir, Calum Scott, Nathan Dawe and Ella Henderson.
When: Thursday, May 12
A Gallop through Royal History
More than 500 horses and 1,000 performers will take part in a 90-minute piece of arena theatre on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The show will comprise of actors, musicians, international military displays, dancers and global equestrian displays from the Elizabethan period to now.
The four-day event is sold out, but the final performance will be broadcast on TV.
When: Sunday, May 15 on ITV.
The Platinum Pageant
The Platinum Pageant will be a spectacle like no other.
More a carnival than a parade, it will tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign will the help of 5,000 people from across the UK and the Commonwealth - and you could be one of them.
Volunteers are being sought to represent and bring to life each of the seven decades of The Queen’s reign - from Jivers to ravers - as well as street performers who dress as famous faces of the times.
They are also inviting children to play a part in the ‘River of Hope’ procession which will see 200 silk flags carried down The Mall, emulating a moving river.
And Primary and secondary school children are invited to create a picture of their hopes and aspirations for the planet over the next 70 years.
When: Sunday, June 5.
Slide through 20 million blooming flowers
Right now, 20 million seeds are being sown for Superbloom, in the Tower of London’s moat - so when June is here, the area will be a dazzling field of colour. Visitors can grab a mat and slide down into the moat - or you can go for the more conventional entry route - by walking.
When: Wednesday, June 1 to Sunday, September 18.
Cheer and jeer at the Jubilee Joust
See one of Henry VIII’s favourite sporting activities in action at Hampton Court Palace Gardens where, for five days, knights from around the country will joust to celebrate the Jubilee.
The overall champion is announced on the final day.
When: Wednesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 5. Tickets start £26.10.
Record-breaking Big Lunch
The Windsor Big Lunch will be one of the thousands of big lunches across the UK during Jubilee weekend - but this one is expected to be the biggest ever and a Guinness Book of Records entry.
The lunch will involve a 500m-long table - 100m longer than the previous record, at the May International Festival set in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2019.
Tables on the Long Walk will be available for reservation, or you can bring your own picnic rugs and soak up the atmosphere while the Platinum Pageant is shown on giant outdoor screens.
When: Sunday, June 5.
Ride on a purple steam train
Severn Valley Railway is hosting celebrations across all of its stations and will unveil one of its steam trains as the newly renamed Elizabeth II -complete with a new purple livery.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast will see a Lancaster passing over the railway, as well as a beacon procession and rock ‘n’ roll bands playing classic 50s hits at every station stop.
When: Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5. Day ticket £34.20.
Best of British Proms in the Park
Soprano Christina Johnston & live musicians will be entertaining visitors to Wherstead Park in Ipswich. Enjoy classics such as Land of Hope and Glory, Abide with Me, Nimrod, God Save the Queen, Jerusalem, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
When: Saturday, June 4. Tickets start £5.
