A rendering of the coronation concert staging© BBC Studios

What time is the King's coronation concert, line up, running order and how to watch in the UK and US?

King Charles's coronation concert will be taking place in Windsor on Sunday 7 May

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Updated: May 7, 2023

Excitement is building for the King's coronation concert, with the evening set to be full star-studded performances at Windsor Castle.

The music bash takes place on the East Lawn at Windsor Castle on 7 May. With the main artists and musicians now confirmed, including Take That and Katy Perry, here's everything you need to know.

What time is the coronation concert?

© Getty Images

Katy Perry performing in 2021

The government website states that the coronation concert will begin at 8pm on Sunday 7 May. The evening's event will be taking part in the grounds of Windsor Castle in front of a crowd of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests and broadcast across BBC television and radio stations. Meanwhile, millions more will be tuning in at home.

LIVE UPDATES: Everything from the coronation concert as it happens!

Who is playing at the King's coronation concert?

Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are among the musical stars who will perform at the Coronation Concert to celebrate the crowning of the King and Queen Consort. See what they had to say about being included in the line-up in the clip below...

WATCH: Katy Perry reacts to Coronation Concert news

NEWS:  Princess Catharina-Amalia to join King Charles's pre-coronation celebrations at Buckingham Palace

The line-up will also include Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, and singer-songwriter Zak Abel - who stepped in after Freya Ridings had to drop out due to illness on Friday. Other acts announced are: Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Winwood and world-renowned pianist Lang Lang. 

Take That

Take That first formed in 1990, and the band currently comprises of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald after former members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange left the group.

The coronation concert will mark the first time that Take That have performed together since finishing their Odyssey tour in September 2019, and they are likely to take the opportunity to sing some of their greatest hits for the royal family. 

The group are used to performing for royalty; Queen Elizabeth was a great fan of Gary Barlow and he has previously revealed that he performed a private concert at her late majesty's birthday party in 2012, while his Commonwealth track, Sing, was said to have been one of her favourite songs.

Plus, it has now been revealed that Tom Cruise will be making an appearance, as will beloved children's character Winnie the Pooh, through some pre-filmed segments. One of these, a video sharing little-known facts about the newly crowned King and Queen, will also feature facts delivered by Dame Joan Collins, Sir Tom Jones, Bear Grylls and former Strictly star Oti Mabuse

Lionel Richie

© Getty

Lionel Richie is set to perform at the coronation concert

Lionel Richie is one of the big names set to take to the stage at Windsor Castle for the coronation concert, which he has described as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".

The musician, who was a guest at a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday and also attended the coronation ceremony, has been an ambassador for King Charles' Prince's Trust charity since the 1980s and praised the King, saying: "Believe it or not, he cares. He’s hands on."

Lionel is currently starring as a judge on American Idol alongside Katy Perry, and the pair will both miss the latest live episode of the show to perform at the coronation concert.

What is the running order and full line up?

  1. PETE TONG IBIZA CLASSICS FEATURING VULA + JERUB
  2. OLLY MURS - ‘DANCE WITH ME TONIGHT’
  3. THE CORONATION CHOIR WITH GARETH MALONE - 'BRIGHTER DAYS' (EMELI SANDE)
  4. LANG LANG + NICOLE SCHERZINGER 'REFLECTION' (FROM ‘MULAN’)
  5. THE ROYAL COLLABORATION WITH NCUTI GATWA AND MEI MAC - 'SOMEWHERE'
  6. LUCY, THE AMBER TRUST - 'BACH PRELUDE IN C MAJOR’
  7. SPOKEN WORD FOR COMMONWEALTH CHOIR: SONAM KAPOOR
  8. STEVE WINWOOD & THE COMMONWEALTH CHOIR -'HIGHER LOVE'
  9. TIWA SAVAGE - 'KEYS TO THE KINGDOM'
  10. HUGH BONNEVILLE AND KERMIT AND MISS PIGGY (SKETCH)
  11. MAESTRO ANDREA BOCELLI + SIR BRYN TERFEL - 'YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE'
  12. LIONEL RICHIE 'EASY' & 'ALL NIGHT LONG'
  13. HRH PRINCE OF WALES SPEECH - FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
  14. JAMES NESBITT SPOKEN WORD INTRO FOR LIGHT UP THE NATION
  15. PALOMA FAITH – LIGHTING UP THE NATION - 'LULLABY’
  16. STELLA McCARTNEY CONSERVATION SPOKEN WORD
  17. ALEXIS FFRENCH - 'GUIDING LIGHT' segue into ALEXIS FFRENCH + ZAK ABEL - 'DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME'
  18. KATY PERRY 'ROAR' & 'FIREWORK'
  19. TAKE THAT Ft. ROBIN SCHULZ + CALUM SCOTT - 'GREATEST DAY', 'SHINE', 'NEVER FORGET' featuring The Choristers of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

Why did Freya Ridings drop out of the King's coronation concert?

It was announced on Friday that Freya Ridings had to pull out of the coronation concert lineup as she was "unwell". She will instead be replaced by Zak Abel. In a statement, the BBC said: "The BBC has announced that British singer-songwriter Zak Abel is stepping in to perform at Sunday’s Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, replacing Freya Ridings, who has had to pull out, due to being unwell and therefore unable to perform."

Who is Zak Abel – Freya Ridings' replacement for coronation concert?

Zak Abel is a British singer-songwriter who has collaborated with the likes of Gorgon City, Kygo and Tom Misch.

Speaking about joining the line-up, Zak said: "I am honoured and overwhelmed to be included in the Coronation celebrations. To have the opportunity to be part of such a historic moment is something I will forever be humbled by and will never forget."

What do we know about the coronation choir?

King Charles III's coronation concert will also see the especially created Coronation Choir sing in front of the newly crowned King and Queen Consort. 300 singers from across the nation have been brought together from diverse backgrounds to perform at the event at Windsor Castle in May.

© BBC

The coronation choir mentors will also be joined by Rose Ayling-Ellis

MORE: King Charles Coronation: More music details revealed following confirmation of Take That 

The group's journey from individual groups of singers with varied expertise to one combined voice is being documented in the one-off BBC documentary Sing for the King: The Search for the Coronation Choir, which was broadcast on BBC One on Friday 5 May. For the experience, the lucky group is being mentored by choirmaster Gareth Malone, Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and former Eastenders actress and Strictly star Rose Ayling-Ellis.

How to watch the King's coronation concert?

© Getty Images

Crowds watch the Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012

The concert, produced by BBC Studios Productions, will be broadcast live from the grounds of Windsor Castle on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

READ: Katy Perry reveals her ‘wild’ plans for the King’s Coronation concert

It will also be shown on large screens at screening sites in London and events around the country, including St James's Park. Other locations confirmed to be broadcasting the concert include Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast.

How to watch coronation concert in US and Canada:

The show will be available to watch on the US network PBS (including PBS.org and the PBS App).

King Charles' coronation concert is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer. However, to watch in the US or Canada, viewers will need a VPN that allows them to set their computer's location to another country and access websites to bypass the geo-targeted restrictions.

The concert starts from 8pm (BST), which is 3pm Eastern time, 12pm Central, and 11am Pacific.

© Leon Neal

Prince William will have a speaking role at the coronation concert

Will the royals attend the King's coronation concert?

The King and Queen Consort are likely to be joined at the coronation concert by senior members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal.

At the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee concert, we also saw William and Kate's eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, seated in the stands, along with Lady Louise Windsor, then-James, Viscount Severn, and Savannah and Isla Phillips - let's hope we're lucky enough to see the young royals again, as they surely stole the show last time. 

Will King Charles make a speech at the coronation concert?

It is not expected that either King Charles or Queen Consort Camilla will make a speech at the coronation concert or appear on the stage at any point. It is believed that they wish to simply enjoy the concert and allow the spotlight to shine on others taking part.

Will Prince William make a speech at the coronation concert?

On Sunday morning it was revealed by Kensington Palace that the Prince of Wales will take to the stage and give a speech at the coronation concert. In a exciting preview, the Palace tweeted footage of William walking up to a microphone during behind-the-scenes preparations. A voice can be heard saying: “OK, Prince of Wales. It’s time for your rehearsal” before William strides out towards the microphone.

LISTEN: Want to hear more about the royal family? Check out the best of 'A Right Royal Podcast' 

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