King Charles III is due to celebrate his coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey as part of the age-old royal tradition which started in 1066 – but for us music fans, all eyes will be on which musicians will serenade the new monarch at the anticipated concert.
As part of the royal process, Charles acceded the throne on September 8, 2022 upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, and now must be officially crowned as the nation’s King.
As well as the coronation, a special Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle and will be aired by the BBC on Sunday, May 7.
As the last coronation was held for the late Queen in 1953, the British public consider this a national holiday with celebrations spanning days, so the prospect of an amazing concert with big UK names in the line-up will be exactly what everyone needs after the sombre last couple of years.
However, don’t get ready to boogie just yet as it’s been reported that many A-list music stars have turned down the opportunity to perform at such as landmark event, which could be a big blow to Charles’ celebration as Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee last year saw a large range of stars hit the stage for the Platinum Party at the Palace, including Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, Queen and Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, George Ezra and Diana Ross.
With musicians such as Kylie Minogue, Sir Elton and Harry Styles pulling their names out of the hat, it’s beginning to look bleak for the royal engagement.
With that said, which artists have turned down performing at the Coronation Concert?
Singers who definitely won’t be performing at the coronation concert
Adele
As a renowned vocalist and songwriter, Adele is truly one of the greatest British icons of our time, so it’s no surprise that her presence would certainly add to the vibe of a coronation event.
It was reported earlier this year by a ‘source involved with the project’ to Mail on Sunday that Charles himself was ‘very keen’ to have her perform, but she is believed to have turned down the offer, unfortunately for us at home and those attending.
The superstar singer has been super busy over the past year due to her Las Vegas residency, which she has now just extended to run through June to November, so she may also just be craving a bit of a break in May.
Ed Sheeran
As one of the best UK songwriters, Ed will not be able to attend the event due to being tied up with his own show in Texas the day before.
If only teleportation was an option!
Though disappointing, a representative for the Bad Habits singer told Metro.co.uk recently that he nor his team had been ‘approached’ about a possible performance, despite claims he had turned down the invite.
Harry Styles
The former One Direction member and As It Was singer is currently heading his worldwide Love On Tour, which is due to come home to the UK this coming May.
Set to take place in Coventry, it appears that Harry will be spending the evening with a sea of fans and his upbeat chart-topping tunes, instead.
Spice Girls
After the infamous Geri Halliwell kiss shared between Ginger Spice and the current king back when he was Prince Charles in 1997, it’s unknown as to why the world-class pop group have rejected a spot on the performance list. Reports earlier this year claimed the group, who reunited for a tour in 2019 and who are always at the centre of further reunion chatter, had rejected the offer.
As a British pop culture historical moment, perhaps they thought to leave the past behind?
Robbie Williams
Heading to Copenhagen for his world tour, Robbie will not be flying back anytime soon to join his fellow Take That members at the coronation event.
Bandmates Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are currently touring the UK as well as Finland and Denmark but have allegedly ‘earmarked’ the May weekend in case they get the go-ahead to perform for the Royals, as reported by The Mirror.
Miraculously, former member Jason Orange is supposedly in talks to re-join the band for the occasion after originally leaving the group in 2014, so maybe four out of five members isn’t all that bad.
But as the Angels singer resumes his solo tour in Mexico the week after the performance is due and still enjoys his status as a one man band, maybe he just wants to sit this one out?
Sir Elton John
Candle In The Wind musician and known beloved friend of Princess Diana, Sir Elton John will not be preparing a tune or two for the coronation due to scheduling conflicts with his tour.
As the singer travels around the world on his European Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, Sir Elton will be performing a string of dates between May 8 and May 11 at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, according to Stereoboard.
According to The National, a source close to the palace stated that, Sir Elton’s tour, which sees the singer perform in Germany before and after the coronation, means that he ‘isn’t able to make the dash to the UK work’.
This Rocket Man will be making a debut performance at Glastonbury in June instead.
Kylie Minogue
Queen of the 2000s pop scene and Aussie actress, Kylie may have declined the opportunity to play a hit song due to recent politics down under.
A source close to the star told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Kylie has been an honorary Brit for many, many years, and admires the Royal Family and everything that they do. But she is also a passionate Australian and has read the room in a country that could very soon become a republic.’
So don’t go rushing to dig out your golden short shorts anytime soon.
A spokesperson for Kylie told the publication that the singer ‘won’t be appearing at the gig because she will not be in the country at the time’.
So, it looks as though the line-up is still a work in progress.
But as those in the entertainment industry would say: ‘The show must go on!’
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