The Platinum Party at the Palace officially kicked off Saturday evening at Buckingham Palace with an opening sketch featuring Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear sharing a meal.
“Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always keep one for emergencies,” Paddington Bear asks Her Majesty, procuring a sticky treat from his red bucket cap.
“So do I,” the Queen replies, showcasing her own sandwich after reaching into her bag. “I keep mine in here.”
The live-action portion of the event then launched with Adam Lambert and Queen taking the stage to perform for the Buckingham Palace audience, with the crowd thumping the familiar boom-boom-clap of “We Will Rock You.” The number concluded with Brian May emerging at the top of the stage, shredding the song’s ending guitar riff while surrounded by smoke.
The show then immediately moved into renditions of “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Are the Champions.”
The setlist for the concert also includes appearances from Jax Jones, Mabel, Stefflon Dun, Elbow, Craig David, George Ezra, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mimi Webb, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sir Elton John, Diversity, Sam Ryder, Sir Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, Celeste, Sigala and Ella Eyre, Mica Paris and Diana Ross. The two-hour concert is airing on both BBC One and ABC News. The ABC News broadcast will be available to stream on Hulu on Sunday.
The Platinum Party at the Palace is part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend, which celebrates the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne. The national bank holiday began on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday.
Watch the video sketch featuring Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear below: