King Charles III’s coronation concert will include some surprising faces including Tom Cruise, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, and Winnie the Pooh. The three, diversely talented celebrities have all attended royal events in the past, according to Variety; Cruise attended Princess Diana’s funeral in ’97, Scherzinger participated in a pageant for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year, and Pooh attended a Buckingham Palace children’s garden party in ’06. The festivities will take place May 7 at Windsor Castle for an audience of 20,000.
“I am incredibly honored to be a part of such a historic event,” Scherzinger said, Variety reports. “The U.K. has been my home away from home for many years now, so this means so much to me to be lending my voice through the gift of song. The piece I will be singing is such a powerful, moving song. And to be sharing the stage with Lang Lang will be a dream come true; a once-in-a-lifetime performance.”
Actress Joan Collins, singer Tom Jones and Bear Grylls, a British adventure, will send prerecorded sketches to the event, according to the BBC. Steve Winwood, pianist Lang Lang, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Tiwa Savage, and DJ Pete Tong are also joining the event’s lineup. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor will do a spoken performance. Previously announced performers include Katy Perry, Take That, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, and Bryn Terfel.
“Against the stunning backdrop of Windsor Castle, it’s going to be a jam-packed evening of memorable moments, that Their Majesties and everyone in the UK can enjoy,” Kate Phillips, BBC director of unscripted, said in a statement. The BBC will be broadcasting the concert that day on TV and radio. ABC’s Good Morning America will be offering U.S. viewers live coverage of the concert that day, beginning at 3 p.m. ET., according to Independent.
The BBC suggests that Winnie the Pooh’s appearance at the concert could be similar to the time that Queen Elizabeth II had marmalade sandwiches with Paddington Bear last year. When Her Majesty offered the Wellingtons-clad bear tea, he drank it straight from the pot. “Never mind,” she deadpanned.