King Charles III coronation concert: What we know so far from date, venue, to lineup rumours
King Charles will be crowned in just a matter of weeks, alongside Queen Consort Camilla.
The coronation, last held in June 1953 for the crowning of the late Queen Elizabeth II, will take place over a weekend in early May 2023.
It will begin with the traditional coronation ceremony, followed by celebrations including a concert that promises to be packed with musical stars, and an extra bank holiday (woo!).
So, just when is the coronation concert? Do we know who might perform? And how can you get tickets for it, or watch it from home?
Here’s all we know so far.
When is King Charles III’s coronation concert?
The King’s coronation concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 7, 2023.
It is set to take place on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
This is the day after the coronation itself, which takes place on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
The concert therefore will be the day before the UK bank holiday to celebrate the historic occasion on Monday, May 8.
Who could be in the coronation concert line-up?
So far, a line up for the coronation concert hasn’t been officially announced.
However, a number of huge names have been linked to the coronation celebrations.
Iconic American singer Bette Midler has been reported to be performing at the Windsor Castle.
A source told The Sun: ‘Landing a Hollywood star like Bette is a real coup and she will add real old-school glamour to the line-up. Bette is delighted to be taking part, she thinks it’s an honour.
‘Organisers are pulling out all the stops to give people a real spectacle, there’ll be something for everyone’.
Midler, 77, has previously sang for royalty as she performed in the Royal Variety Performance twice before in 2009 and 2014.
British boy band Take That has also been rumoured to be belting out their hits to mark the occasion – and a former bandmate might be joining them.
According to reports, Gary Barlow, 52, Mark Owen, 51, and Howard Donald, 54, are planning a spectacular set for the free concert.
It has been rumoured that Jason Orange, 52, who left the band in 2014, will also be part of the performance.
A source told The Sun: ‘The biggest names and acts in world music are being approached for the concert.
‘If you draw up a list of the most popular acts in the world over the past 30 years then they are all being considered.
‘But Take That were right near the top of that list and are a massive coup for the organisers to get over the line so early.
‘Nothing is signed yet as there is still production and scheduling to work out.’
The Sun also reports that American singer Lionel Richie will be the first act to perform.
Richie, 73, became the first Global Ambassador for King Charles’ charity The Prince’s Trust – which was set up when he was The Prince of Wales – back in 2019.
It is believed the global music icon and monarch get along well, and they are also around the same age (The King is 74).
Alas, Buckingham Palace hasn’t confirmed any performers at the time of writing.
There has also been speculation that Brit superstars Adele and Ed Sheeran were asked to perform.
It was reported that both had ‘turned down’ the opportunity – but a rep for Ed told Metro.co.uk that the singer and his team had not even been ‘approached’ about performing.
The Shape Of You hitmaker, 32, is due to perform in Arlington, Texas on the day of the coronation, meaning he’d have quite a journey to reach the UK in time for the May 7 show.
Ed’s schedule is currently packed with stadium concerts – he is in Australia during February and March, and will perform all over the US and Canada on various dates from May to September.
Rumours are also floating that Grammy winner Harry Styles will be invited to perform, according to The Mail, and that the Spice Girls may reunite for the event.
Sadly, though, we might have to wait a bit before finding out which ‘global music icons and contemporary stars’ will take the stage.
The late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert in 2022 featured music legends including Diana Ross, Elton John, Queen + Adam Lambert, Sir Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys.
Can you get tickets to the coronation concert?
The ballot to nab free tickets to the coronation concert has now been closed.
Ticketmaster ran a ballot to give away 5,000 pairs of tickets, which closed on Tuesday, February 28.
The Ticketmaster website says that successful applicants will be informed if they have tickets by late April.
It is not a first-come, first-served ballot, however.
And Ticketmaster said: ‘There is as much chance of your name being drawn if the application is made on 10th February as by the closing time on 28th February.’
You can throw your hat (crown?) in the ring if you are a resident of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Isles or Isle of Man, or if you have a ‘BFPO address’.
‘The ballot will reflect fairly the population spread across the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), the Channel Isles, the Isle of Man and BFPO,’ says the official website.
‘You don’t have a greater or lesser chance if you live in a sparsely populated area or a highly populated area.’
Can you watch the concert on TV?
All that said, everyone with a TV Licence can tune in to watch the coronation concert on TV.
The King’s concert will be broadcast live on BBC One, streamed live on BBC iPlayer – and this coverage will also be ‘supported across the entire BBC network’.
An exact start time for the concert has yet to be announced, as far as we can see, but will surely be announced in due course.
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