King Charles III’s Coronation Concert will feature a few faces familiar to the royal family, including Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, and Lionel Richie.
The news was announced Friday, per the BBC, which will broadcast the musical celebration from the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 7.
“I am excited to be performing at the Coronation Concert,” said Perry, 38 — who was appointed by Charles to the British Asian Trust in 2020 — “and helping to shine a further light on the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund, whose work includes on-ground initiatives to fund-raising, with the aim to find solutions to child trafficking.”
Meanwhile, Richie, 73, who was named the first global ambassador for Charles’ the Prince’s Trust charity in February 2021 — then sparking rumors that he would one day perform at the Coronation Concert — added in his own statement that this “once-in-a-lifetime” show is “an honor and a celebration.”
Global opera phenomenon Bocelli, 64, and Welsh baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, 57, are due to perform a duet together, while British classical-soul composer Alexis Ffrench will also appear at the event.
Other musical Brits to be featured in the Coronation Concert include the band Take That, sans Robbie Williams, and English singer-songwriter Freya Ridings, as well as a choir group of 300 from across the four nations of the United Kingdom.
Viewers can also expect a resplendent display of lights, lasers, drones and projections that are sure to be one of the night’s “highlights,” per the BBC report.
About 20,000 fans are expected to attend the public showcase, along with a few as-yet-unreported royals in attendance.
Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Charles has reportedly only had one “informal” rehearsal for the coronation at Buckingham Palace. The real event will unfold at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, followed by the concert on the next day.