The BBC has announced that singer-songwriters Paloma Faith and Tiwa Savage, rock ‘n’ roll legend Steve Winwood, internationally renowned pianist Lang Lang and pop star Nicole Scherzinger will be part of the line-up for the Coronation Concert on Sunday 7th May.
They will be joined by singer Olly Murs, Pete Tong Ibiza Classics, featuring Vula and JERUB, and winner of The Piano, Lucy, whilst Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor will deliver a spoken word performance.
The eclectic mix of artistes are part of the line-up alongside previously announced performers including Take That, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings, Alexis Ffrench and a collaboration of five Royal patronages.
The BBC also announced that Tom Cruise, Dame Joan Collins and Disney’s Winnie the Pooh will feature in the concert. They, along with Sir Tom Jones, Bear Grylls OBE and Oti Mabuse are amongst the stars who will appear in a series of pre-recorded sketches and segments revealing little-known facts about The King.
The concert will take place in the grounds of Windsor Castle and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, as well as BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
Paloma Faith is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and TV personality. She has released five critically acclaimed platinum-selling albums.
As well as collecting dozens of awards in the last decade, including a BRIT Award, and having a no. 1 album, Paloma has reached a wider audience as a judge on The Voice UK and The Voice Kids.
She is also an actor in the DC Comic series of Pennyworth, Starz Dangerous Liaisons, and has starred in films such as St Trinian’s and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Tiwa Savage is a Nigeria-born singer-songwriter whose blend of Afrobeats, R&B, pop and hip-hop earned her an MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act, making her the first woman to win in the category.
She said, “It’s truly an honour to be representing Africa and the Commonwealth at such an historic event. I look forward to joining the celebrations and bringing Afrobeats to Windsor Castle for the first time!”
Singer-songwriter, musician and producer Steve Winwood has been a primary figure in the rock ‘n’ roll scene since he burst into prominence in 1963, at the age of 15, with the Spencer Davis Group, before co-founding Traffic in 1969.
Winwood left Traffic in 1969 to form a new group called Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker before going on to have success as a solo artist.
Steve continues to tour with his band and compose and produce recordings in his studio. He has sold over 50 million records in the course of his five-decade career.
He said, “I was alive and just about remember the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I, together with millions and millions of other people all around the globe, am a lifelong monarchist. So to be included in the Coronation celebrations of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla is for me a lifetime achievement for which I’m extremely humbled and honoured.”
Winwood will sing alongside the Commonwealth virtual choir, featuring choirs and individuals from over 40 Commonwealth countries. The performance will be introduced by an uplifting spoken word piece from award-winning Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor.
Kapoor said, “I am honoured to join the Commonwealth virtual choir, celebrating His Majesty’s love for music and art. It’s a momentous occasion that signifies a commitment to a positive, inclusive, and optimistic future for the United Kingdom, with the choir’s music paying tribute to the royal legacy and promoting unity, peace, and joy.”
The 300-strong Coronation Choir will also be performing and will be conducted by Gareth Malone. This diverse group will be created from community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom.
Internationally renowned pianist Lang Lang has sold millions of albums around the world, topping classical charts and achieving simultaneous mainstream success. He has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine. The scale of Lang Lang’s musical achievements is mirrored by his commitment to charitable causes, most notably through the Lang Lang Music Foundation.
He said, “I have had the honour of playing for King Charles and was humbled to receive my honorary doctorate at the Royal College of Music from him. I have come to know him as a big supporter of classical music. I look forward to performing a track from Mulan for this unique musical celebration with great joy.”
Lang Lang will perform a duet with pop star singer, songwriter and TV personality Nicole Scherzinger. Scherzinger is best known as lead singer and founding member of girl group The Pussycat Dolls and a judge on hit TV shows including The X Factor.
She said, “I am incredibly honoured to be a part of such a historic event. The UK has been my home away from home for many years now, so this means so much to me to be lending my voice through the gift of song. The piece I will be singing is such a powerful, moving song. And to be sharing the stage with Lang Lang will be a dream come true; a once-in-a-lifetime performance.”
Lucy is a pianist who recently appeared on Channel 4’s The Piano. The teenager, who is blind and neurodiverse, stunned audiences and fellow concert performer Lang Lang with an incredible rendition of a Chopin piece, before going on to win the show.
Olly Murs is a singer and TV presenter. He has had four number one singles and five number one albums. He was a coach on five consecutive series of The Voice and the host of ITV’s Starstruck, in which he helped members of the public make their musical dreams come true.
Murs said, “It’s such an honour to be asked to perform for King Charles’ Coronation concert at such an iconic castle. An event that will go down in history, and one I’ll be proud to tell my kids about one day.”
For generations of electronic music fans, Pete Tong has been the definitive voice of the genre for decades. Pete Tong Ibiza Classics, featuring vocals from Vula and JERUB, will kick off the evening’s celebrations. The Ibiza Classics project was initially conceived as a one-off for the Proms classical music festival in 2015, reimagining some of the most loved dance music anthems for an orchestra to celebrate 20 years of Radio One in Ibiza.
Tong said, “Such an honour to play at the Coronation Concert alongside my fellow performers . It’s a moment in history, it’s going to be a very special celebration. We are bringing Ibiza Classics.”
Vula is best known for her work with Basement Jaxx, whose live band she joined in 2003 and with whom she had a top 10 hit with ‘Oh My Gosh!’ In 2019, she saw more chart success when she featured on the top 10 hit dance single ‘Turn Me On (Dr Love)’.
She said, “It is always a pleasure to be on stage with the legendary Pete Tong. I am looking forward to being involved with the opening of such a historical event.”
Emerging Nigeria-born and Nottingham-based artiste JERUB’s sound is rooted in pop, soul and indie. He was shortlisted as a finalist in BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Introducing talent search.
Kate Phillips, BBC Director of Unscripted, said, “I’m delighted that even more world class names have joined the line-up for the Coronation Concert, broadcast live across the BBC. Against the stunning backdrop of Windsor Castle, it’s going to be a jam packed evening of memorable moments, that Their Majesties and everyone in the UK can enjoy!”
The concert, produced by BBC Studios Productions, will be hosted by Hugh Bonneville and will celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen in front of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests, as well as millions watching and listening at home on BBC One and BBC iPlayer as well as BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.