Which acts have reportedly rejected the invitation to perform at King Charles' coronation?

It has been reported that a number of acts have rejected the offer to perform at King Charles' coronation celebration in May 2023

King Charles coronation performers
(Image credit: Chris Jackson / Staff / Getty Images)

King Charles' coronation is set to take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, and it is rumored that some artists have rejected the King's request to perform at the celebrations that weekend.


King Charles' coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6, and kick off a number of celebrations paying tribute to the new King and his wife, Queen consort Camilla. On May 7, there will be a concert at Windsor Castle, which will feature a number of A-list acts who will perform at the palace for members of the public with tickets.

While it may be easy to assume that many artists would be excited to perform at this incredible moment in history, and inside source has claimed that actually, there are some acts who have already rejected the King's request.

The source, an organiser of the event, told OK! "The King has suggested a number of people he would like to perform and Adele and Ed were on that list."

"He was very keen that they were part of the concert… There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment. They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe. It’s such a shame,” said the source.

Floral tributes are laid out in the grounds ahead of the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle

(Image credit: Photo by Hannah McKay/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

British singer, Adele, is currently performing in Vegas and is expected to stay there for a few more months. Her Vegas residency officially finishes on March 25, which means that the star would technically be free to perform in early May. However, given the intensity of her Vegas residency, it is likely that the singer is planning to have a break after such a long time performing.

Similarly, Ed Sheeran's schedule conflicts with the coronation performance. The singer is kicking off the US leg of his tour on May 6, at the AT & T Stadium in Texas. This would mean he would have to fly to England soon after his Texas concert to make it back for the coronation performance, which is doable, but would probably mean he'd encounter jet-lag and struggle at both perfomances.

Adele performs onstage during the "Weekends with Adele" Residency Opening at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on November 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

It has also been rumored that Harry Styles and Elton John have also rejected the offer to perform at the event. Harry is set to perform in Denmark the weekend after the coronation and will be in the midst of his month-long break during his international tour when the concert takes place.

A source told The Sun, "Organisers are working against the clock to pull together an exciting line-up but have hit a series of challenges."

"Elton John was top of Charles’ list but due to his European tour, which sees him performing in Germany the Friday before then again soon after the Windsor concert, he isn’t able to make the dash to the UK work." They added, "Meanwhile, man-of-the-moment Harry Styles is also tied up with touring and unable to get key band members together as they’ll be on much-needed downtime"

Similarly, Elton will also be on a tour break during the coronation. The singer's taking a break from April 17 and May 30. While Elton had a close connection with Princess Diana and sang at her funeral, the singer has spoken on many occasions about taking a step back from music and announced that at the age of 76, his last ever UK performance will be at Glastonbury 2023.

Robbie Williams and the Spice Girls have also reportedly rejected the King's offer, but like the other stars who were rumored to attend, none of the music acts themselves have confirmed that they were asked to perform, or have had to reject the King's offer.

Who is performing at King Charles' coronation concert?

It is rumored that Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald from Take That are due to headline the concert. It is also thought that sisters, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Lionel Richie, and Olly Murs will also be involved. 

It has even been suggested that Andrew Lloyd Webber will also be involved in the concert in some capacity.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.