Coronation concert: Timings, how to watch and who’s performing
Star-studded concerts have become a mainstay of royal celebrations, with Queen, Rod Stewart and Diana Ross all making an appearance for the Platinum Jubilee concert.
Buckingham Palace has promised “global music icons and contemporary stars” for the King’s coronation concert.
Here’s everything we know so far about the concert.
When and where is the coronation concert?
The coronation concert is the highlight of the second day of coronation celebrations on Sunday 7 May and will start at 8pm.
It will be staged on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, the first time a concert has been held in the grounds.
Who will be performing?
Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are among the acts who have been announced on the line-up.
Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, veteran rock guitarist Steve Winwood, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls will also perform.
Stella McCartney will give a spoken word performance on the theme of conservation, reflecting hers and the King’s shared passion for environmental sustainability.
The event will also include performances by Italian opera star, Andrea Bocelli; Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel; singer-songwriter Freya Ridings and classical-soul composer, Alexis Ffrench.
Ed Sheeran, Adele, Sir Elton John, Harry Styles and the Spice Girls all reportedly declined invitations to appear.
How does the ticket ballot work, and who will be in the audience?
The public ballot for tickets is now closed, and people are urged not to turn up in Windsor without a ticket.
The 10,000 tickets were allocated based on the geographical spread of the UK population.
Volunteers affiliated to the King and Queen Consort’s various charities will also be invited to join the audience.
The remaining tickets will be made available to charities including those who support young people, the military, the environment, their local communities and the wider Commonwealth.
I didn’t enter the ballot – how can I watch on TV?
The concert will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
Kirsty Young will anchor the live coverage for BBC TV and BBC iPlayer, and Clara Amfo and Jordan Banjo will be backstage with the artists.
Read more:
The King’s coronation in pictures
What it was like being in Westminster Abbey for the coronation
What about public screenings?
Big screens will show the concert at locations around the UK, including Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol.
In London, the concert will be screened at St James’s Park, where thousands of people gathered on Saturday to watch the coronation ceremony live.
People will be able to access the screening site from 4pm, but broadcasting won’t kick off until 8pm. An accessible viewing area will also be available.
Will there be a repeat of the Paddington sketch?
Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Dame Joan Collins will appear in a series of pre-recorded sketches revealing little-known facts about the King.
The inclusion of beloved literary figure Winnie the Pooh suggests that there might be a moment of magic to match the late Queen sharing tea with Paddington Bear at the Platinum Party At The Palace.
Sir Elton John performs by video link during the Platinum Party at the Palace. Pic: AP
How is the concert being staged?
The concert will feature a Union Flag-shaped stage.
The stage will be lit in red, white, and blue against the background of the east terrace of Windsor Castle.
It will fan out into the audience and have a halo-like screen surrounding the roof, which the BBC said will “symbolise the crown protecting the nation”.
A representation of the stage for the Coronation Concert
Who else is performing?
There will also be performers from the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art.
The royal patronages will come together for the first time for a performance featuring Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac.
Based around themes of love and togetherness, the piece will combine music, dance, art, and theatre.
An arrangement of a classic song from West Side Story will be performed, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by members of the Royal Opera Chorus.
Royal Ballet principal dancers Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambe will perform a bespoke piece of choreography for the occasion.
The visual backdrop projected onto Windsor Castle and the stage will showcase artworks by students from the Royal College of Art.
A string quartet of four Royal College of Music students will perform as soloists – Katherine Yoon and Betania Johnny on violin, Declan Wicks on viola and Marion Portelance, who will be playing a cello once owned and played by the King and now in the collection of The Royal College of Music.
The coronation choir will appear alongside a virtual choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth, for a special performance on the night.
The coronation choir will be created from amateur singers from across the UK, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.
A massive light display will form the centrepiece of the concert. Locations across the UK will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
The line-up will also include an orchestra, spoken word artists and performers from the world of dance and the arts.
Who’s hosting?
Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville will set the scene for the evening’s entertainment and introduce the artists as they take to the stage.
The actor said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in this unique event, celebrating the best of musical entertainment in honour of His Majesty’s coronation.
“In true British style, come rain or shine, it will be a night to remember.”
To stay up-to-date with the coronation – including details like timings of the day, news, features, and analysis – bookmark our special coronation page for all the latest: skynews.com/coronation.
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
👉Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app👈
Read more:
Russia’s VE Day parade felt like celebration of war
Michael Clarke Q&A on Ukraine war
Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching ceasefire
The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
A special constable has been jailed after taking pictures on his phone from bodycam footage showing a dying man.
Former police volunteer William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after showing the photos of victim William Harty, 28, to a female colleague and storing them on his Snapchat account.
Mr Harty was found seriously injured in a residential street in Leicester on 25 October 2021 and Heggs had attended the scene, helping with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Mr Harty died in hospital a day later and the man responsible for his injuries, his brother-in-law Martin Casey, was subsequently convicted of his manslaughter.
Heggs showed the pictures he had taken of bodycam footage of Mr Harty’s body to a Leicestershire Police constable, who reported Heggs and said she did not like seeing blood.
His phone was seized and officers discovered other photographs and video clips of bodyworn footage of incidents Heggs had attended on duty, including of a knife seizure, use of baton and pepper spray, and a man with an injured hand receiving first aid.
He also took pictures of a police computer screen, showing details of crimes and suspects, without consent.
Heggs stored the materials in a Snapchat folder and disclosed graphic details – most of which were not in the public domain – about the injuries to a woman who was killed in a road traffic collision he had attended, to a friend on the social media platform.
Heggs was suspended from the force in November 2021 and resigned in October 2024 before pleading guilty to 11 computer misuse and data protection offences this March.
William Harty’s widow Mandy Casey. Pic: PA
‘He has traumatised me’
Mr Harty’s widow, Mandy Casey, said in a victim impact statement read to the court that Heggs “took (her) husband’s dignity when he was most vulnerable”.
“You don’t take someone’s dignity and pride from them on their deathbed.”
She continued: “When I found out special constable Heggs had done this, I just wanted to ask why. He has traumatised me. I feel I will never know if he showed them to others.”
Ms Casey said she was still scared that photos of her husband’s body might appear on social media.
She added that she had lost trust in the police.
Public trust in police ‘significantly undermined’
Judge Timothy Spencer told Heggs, who has autism and ADHD, that he was “probably too immature to be working as a police officer” as he handed down the sentence.
He said Heggs had received “extensive training”, including on the importance of data protection, and knew he should only share materials for “a genuine policing purpose”.
Heggs’s actions had “significantly undermined” public trust and confidence in police, according to the judge.
Read more from Sky News:
Man charged with murder of 87-year-old
Iranian arrested in counter-terror probe
Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “William Heggs abused the public’s trust in the office he held as a special police constable.
“He violated the dignity of the deceased victims for no apparent reason other than what could be considered personal fascination and to gain credibility among his peers.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway