Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Andrea Bocelli are among the performers set to appear at King Charles III’s coronation concert, taking place the day after his installment on the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 7. The BBC said in a statement: “The concert will celebrate a new chapter in the nation’s history, with themes of love, respect and optimism, celebrating the four nations, their communities and the Commonwealth.” Take That (sans Robbie Williams), Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings, and classical-soul composer-producer Alexis French will also be performing at the celebration, with additional names to be confirmed.

Perry and Richie have known King Charles for years, having served as ambassadors for his charities. Perry has been an ambassador of the British Asian Trust since 2020, a nonprofit co-founded by Charles to tackle poverty in South Asia. Perry said in a statement: “I am excited to be performing at the Coronation Concert, and helping to shine a further light on the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund, whose work includes on-ground initiatives to fundraising, with the aim to find solutions to child trafficking.” Richie was appointed as the first global ambassador and first chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for the Prince’s Trust in 2019, which Charles founded the organization in 1976 to benefit disadvantaged youth. Said Richie: “To share the stage with the other performers at The Coronation Concert is a once-in-a-lifetime event and it will be an honor and a celebration.”

BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said in a statement: “We are bringing the nation together for this once in a generation occasion, broadcast exclusively across the BBC live from Windsor Castle. We have a world-class line-up of performers to look forward to for what promises to be a very special night of celebration and entertainment.”

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com