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Ed Sheeran to Play a Special Role at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Celebration: All the Details!

"It's going to be a great opportunity to bring everyone together," the British pop star said

Published on April 26, 2022 03:28 PM

Ed Sheeran, Queen Elizabeth — Ed Sheeran and Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage; Samir Hussein/WireImage

Ed Sheeran will lead the U.K. in a musical tribute to Queen Elizabeth as the country comes together to celebrate the monarch's record-breaking 70 years on the throne with a special four-day weekend of events kicking off on June 2.

The British singer-songwriter will perform outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday, June 5, in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant — the carnival finale of the celebrations that will see several national treasures from the worlds of pop music, film, sport and the arts take center stage.

Organizers are calling the event the "People's Pageant" and are remaining coy about the details of Sheeran's performance — such as whether he will lead a rendition of the national anthem or perform some of his own songs.

"I'm going to say wait and see. We're not wanting to keep secrets, but we are trying to hold back surprises for the day," show director David Zolkwer said at a press conference in London on Tuesday.

In a statement, Sheeran said, "I am looking forward to performing at The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June. I'm proud to be part of the celebration and it's going to be a great opportunity to bring everyone together."

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee — Sketch of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Platinum Jubilee Pageant

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant will be comprised of four main acts. Highlights will include an aerial artist, a giant oak tree flanked with maypole dancers, a huge moving wedding cake sounding out Bollywood hits, a towering dragon and three-story-high beasts.

The spectacle, which will cost around $18 million, has been funded by donations from private citizens and companies. "This event goes to the soul of the nation," said Platinum Jubilee Pageant co-chair Nicholas Coleridge, who estimates that up to one billion people could be tuning in to watch the show from around the world.

Around 10,000 people are involved in the pageant, including 2,750 military personnel, more than 6,000 volunteers, performers, key workers and 2,500 members of the general public. Organizers say that people from across the U.K. and the Commonwealth will come together to celebrate and honor Her Majesty — from Scottish bagpipers to school children in Birmingham, dancers in Bristol, puppeteers on the Isle of Wight and carnival clubs in Somerset.

And the youth cults that brought so much color and notoriety to Britain — from the '50s Teddy Boys, to the Mods of the '60s and Punks and New Romantics of the '70s and '80s will also be represented.

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There's a chance that Sheeran will ride on one of several open-topped London buses that will be part of the carnival. Each one will cover a decade of the Queen's reign and carry personalities associated with each period. One person who will be there is Nandi Bushell, a young British drummer who joined her heroes the Foo Fighters on stage after going viral for her drum performances.

The pageant comes at the end of a long weekend of festivities that will celebrate the Queen's service over seven decades, including Trooping the Colour on Thursday, June 2, a service of Thanksgiving, a celebration at the Derby horse race and a pop concert at the palace on June 4.

The finale will also see crowds gathered around Buckingham Palace singing the national anthem, "God Save the Queen."