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If you were watching the King’s coronation yesterday, then you may well have noticed some familiar musical faces in the crowd. Lionel Richie? Yep, he was there. Katy Perry? Her too. Weird. So... why?
Well, tonight (Sunday, May 7) the official coronation concert will take place, and those two are among the biggest names who are set to appear. Also on the line-up are the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Tom Cruise and Winnie the Pooh (yes, really).
This gig is arguably the most populist element of the three-day affair, which began with the main coronation ceremony yesterday and ends with an extra bank holiday on Monday.
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Around 10,000 tickets for the concert have already been given away free to the British public. And if you didn’t manage to get your hands on some? Well, happily, the gig will also be broadcast on the BBC, as well as on a big screen in St. James’s Park in London.
So who can we expect to see? Here’s everything we know about the line-up for King Charles’s coronation concert on Sunday, May 7.
Who is going to perform at King Charles’s Coronation Concert?
Take That will appear with three of its original members: Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The boy band’s other member, Robbie Williams, reportedly turned down the offer.
Lionel Richie, who was the first global ambassador of the Prince’s Trust, a charity founded by King Charles III, has also been confirmed as a performer.
In a surprise appearance that was not on anyone’s 2023 bingo card, pop star Katy Perry will also be serenading the new monarch. It’s not quite as random as you might first think, though, as Perry was appointed as an ambassador of the British Asian Trust, a charity founded by Charles, back in 2020.
Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and Welsh singer Sir Bryn Terfel will perform as a duo, while singer-songwriter Freya Ridings will take to the stage accompanied by classical-soul composer Alexis Ffrench.
Iconic American singer and Hocus Pocus star Bette Midler will also reportedly make an appearance.
An official coronation choir, made up of choir groups from across the UK, will also perform. It will represent all four nations and include refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf singing choirs.
Who is hosting the concert?
Paddington and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville will host the gig.
Who declined and why?
A palace insider told Mail Online that King Charles was ‘very keen’ to have both Adele and Ed Sheeran perform at the concert, personally requesting their presence. However, both stars declined the offer, with Ed being ‘too busy’ preparing for an upcoming gig in Texas, and Adele turning it down for unspecified reasons.
Harry Styles was also apparently invited to perform, but declined due to scheduling conflicts. Kylie Minogue has also declined an offer, and Elton John, who was a close friend of the late Princess Diana, also declined.
The palace reportedly even tried to orchestrate a Spice Girls reunion for the concert, but this didn’t go ahead due to a lack of rehearsal time.
When is the coronation concert?
Mark your calendars: the coronation concert is taking place on Sunday, May 7 at 8pm. Find out more with our coronation concert guide.
How can I watch?
If you missed out on tickets to the live event, have no fear. In the UK, the show will be available to watch or listen to on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. Find out more about plans for the broadcast here.
Read more: here’s the full schedule for the King’s coronation.
Plus: why are people protesting and can the monarchy be abolished?