Preparations are well and truly underway for King Charles' coronation on May 6, and in case you didn't know, the historic event also includes a lavish Coronation Concert to be held on the day after, on May 7. Given that the late Queen Elizabeth II tapped Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, and Diana Ross for her Platinum Jubilee Concert last June, Charles is no doubt hoping to replicate the spectacle for his coronation weekend.
There's been a ton of speculation about who made the lineup for the big event. At one point, Charles had high hopes for Adele and Ed Sheeran to perform—however, they both declined the invitation. The declines kept on coming, too, as Elton John, Harry Styles, and the Spice Girls also rejected the offer to take the stage (but hey, at least Snoop Dog volunteered to perform!).
Despite the rejections, the BBC has announced the "eclectic line-up of artists" set to take the stage at Windsor Castle. With Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville set to host, here's who's performing at the Coronation Concert.
Katy Perry
Pop superstar and American Idol judge Katy Perry is set to perform at the Coronation Concert. With a cumulative 65 billion streams, plus worldwide sales of over 57 million adjusted albums, Perry may be the biggest headliner of the show. She also happens to have a friendly relationship with King Charles. In 2020, she was appointed an ambassador of The British Asian Trust, a charity founded by Charles.
"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," Perry said in a statement.
Lionel Richie
The Lionel Richie is also set to perform at the Coronation Concert alongside his fellow American Idol judge. The iconic singer/songwriter also has a connection to the crown as he was appointed as The Prince’s Trust’s first Global Ambassador and Chairman of the Global Ambassador Group in 2019.
He 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.”
Take That
One of Britain's most successful boy bands will be reuniting on stage for the first time since 2019 for King Charles' coronation. Take That original members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen are confirmed for the show; however, the band's fourth and fifth members, Robbie Williams and Jason Orange, are unconfirmed.
Their performance is set to be quite the spectacle, too. "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,” the band said.
Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel
Opera star Andrea Bocelli will perform a duet with Sir Bryn Terfel, a Welsh bass baritone. Bocelli has sold over 90 million records worldwide and recently had a number-one album UK and US charts simultaneously. Meanwhile, Terfel is a Grammy, Classical BRIT, and Gramophone Award winner.
Freya Ridings and Alexis Ffrench
North London singer/songwriter Freya Ridings will perform a duet with classical composer, producer, and pianist Alexis Ffrench. Ridings rose to international fame with her hit song, "Lost Without You," and her debut album was streamed over a billion times globally, while Ffrench boasts over half a billion streams and close to 3 million monthly listeners.
The Coronation Choir
Alongside the concert's headliners, the Coronation Choir, made up of community choirs from across the U.K., will give a special performance. They will be joined by singers from across the Commonwealth in the Virtual Choir.
If you're currently outside the U.K., you can use a VPN like ExpressVPN—which has a 30-day free trial—to watch the coronation live on the BBC, which aired Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
