Who could join Lionel Richie as a performer at the King’s coronation concert in May?

Who would be a promoter? The sometimes thankless job of roping in performers for festivals is a tricky world of contracts and non-performance clauses that timing is everything. So we feel for those who are organising the concert on May 7 2023 to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

We’ve been treated to a who’s who of artists who are not set to perform, including Ed Sheeran, Adele and even Sir Elton John, performers that Kings Charles III has been said to be a fan of, and we’ve also been led to believe that Lionel Richie has been confirmed to perform at the event. Lionel Richie’s inclusion makes sense - he’s not only a musician King Charles III is a fan of but was named a Prince’s Trust International global ambassador in 2019.

There has been more movement in terms of musical performance for the coronation itself, being held on May 6 2023; Classic FM has reported that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has been commissioned to compose the Coronation Anthem and some of the King’s favourite classic musicians have also been confirmed to be performing.

There will be solo performances from bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, soprano Pretty Yende and baritone Roderick Williams, with a special coronation orchestra conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. Describing the musical program, the Palace said it blends “tradition, heritage and ceremony with new musical voices of today, reflecting The King’s life-long love and support of music and the arts”.

So we know who isn’t going to be playing - but what are the most popular suggestions for who could be performing at the King’s Coronation concert after his big day? Peopleworld plays fantasy promoters with five acts likely to be performing with the amount of chatter they’re receiving.

Who could perform at King Charles III’s coronation concert? 

(Most of) Take That

This one interests us the most because it might go against our explanations as to why artists might not be allowed to perform at the King’s Coronation concert. But there is a popular belief that Take That will be performing as part of the festivities, given their numerous Royal Variety performances over the years.

One name that won’t be part of that Take That line up though is allegedly Robbie Williams; he’ll be overseas on tour, with dates in Central America in May. That may also explain why he won’t be performing with the group at BST Hyde Park this year.

Spice Girls

One of Geri Horner’s most infamous flirtations was of course when the Spice Girls lined up to meet then Prince Charles after performing at a Prince’s Trust gala in 1997. She broke royal protocol by giving the King a peck on the cheek, though contends that she merely patted his backside, rather than the frequently rumoured pinch to the royal derriere.

The Spice Girls have long had a good relationship with Kings Charles III after their work for the Prince’s Trust, and perhaps a full reformation including Victoria Beckham would solidify the concert lineup in lieu of modern acts turning down the opportunity to perform.

Olly Murs

This rumour is another one that has our utmost interest; there has been speculation that Olly Murs might be one of the performers at the concert, however will his love of Harry, Duke of Sussex potentially see him either turn down or be denied the opportunity to perform?

“I think, what an amazing guy he is. I just love him as a person I really do,” he told reporters on the red carpet for the GQ Man of the Year Awards in 2018. “I think he’s such a cool, lovely guy and he’s so honest,” Olly added to Hello! Magazine. “Every time you hear an interview with him he speaks the truth.

Could the release of Spare and the subsequent Royal fallout from the publication mean that one of Harry’s ardent supporters might cost him the opportunity to perform at the right Royal affair?

Sir Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney has been a lifelong friend of the Royal family, and no stranger to performing on big occasions - with the King’s Coronation concert potentially ranking up there with his headline appearance at Glastonbury last year or playing Shea Stadium with The Beatles in 1966.

Speaking on Facebook about the last time he met Queen Elizabeth II, which he had done over the decades on numerous occasions, McCartney revealed: “I shook her hand, leaned in and said, ‘We have got to stop meeting like this,’ to which she giggled slightly and got on with the ceremony. I did wonder if I was a bit too cheeky after saying this, after all this was The Queen, but I have a feeling she didn’t mind.

Craig David

Hold on one moment - before you think we are being facetious with this idea. Did you know that King Charles III is not only familiar with Craig David, but also a fan?

In a radio interview in early 2022, David admitted that he and King Charles III used to speak regularly and was a fan of his music. “Charles said “What’s the new thing? “I like that! He’s like, ‘cool, I know about ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘7 Days’, I like this, but what’s the new stuff man?’

“This is the future King’s dedication, he wanted to put it out there to let you all know that he knows you.”

Why aren’t some performers playing the King Charles III coronation concert?

Sometimes, the reasons for artists not performing isn’t some salacious stand against the monarchy, but instead an issue of timings and contractual obligations.

Ed Sheeran, for example, would have loved to have played at the King’s Coronation concert but will be touring the United States around that time, so logistically it is impossible for him to break that commitment, even if it is for the King.

Other times though, it is a matter of performance contracts that musicians are tied down to; for example, if an artist has been booked for say Leeds or Reading Festival, they would have a no-performance period of a certain number of days, weeks or months before their big appearance, and then a certain number after they have performed.

This is not only to ensure that promoters get the maximum number of attendees to their festival, thus preventing a dilution of prospective ticket payers with a stand-alone show shortly before a festival appearance, but to also prevent any unfortunate incidents occurring that may prevent them from performing at the last minute.

Say, for example, when Dave Grohl broke his leg on tour; thankfully he had a throne made for him to continue his obligation. Sadly for Rage Against The Machine Fans, this was one of the reasons they had to pull out of Leeds and Reading 2022, due to Zach De La Rocha injuring his Achilles tendon.