JAMES NESBITT will hold a lead role in the BBC’s coverage of the coronation of King Charles III this weekend.
The Antrim native, who was born in Ballymena, has been announced among the performers taking part in the broadcaster’s Coronation Concert.
The BBC has planned wall to wall coverage of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, which takes place on Saturday, May 6.
The celebrations in Britain will continue until Monday, May 8, which has been designated a Bank Holiday in honour of the royal occasion.
And the BBC’s Coronation Concert, which will air on Sunday, May 7, will feature a ‘Lighting up the Nation’ segment, in which Nesbitt, as well as singer Paloma Faith, will take a lead role.
“From Edinburgh to The Eden Project, famous landmarks, areas of natural beauty and street parties will connect through a beautifully choreographed display of light on Sunday, May 7,” a BBC spokesperson explained.
“The Coronation Concert’s ‘Lighting up the Nation’ live sequence will see the country unite in celebration, as the United Kingdom comes to life like never before with projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.”
James Nesbitt will read a poem during the Lught up the Nation segment of the BBC's Coronation ConcertThey added: “Stunning light-up moments in ten iconic locations including Blackpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Gateshead, Cornwall, Belfast, and some surprise locations, will form the centrepiece of the event being broadcast live from Windsor Castle across the BBC and produced by BBC Studios.”
Nesbitt, who was awarded an OBE for his services to drama and the community in Northern Ireland in 2016, is known for roles in the likes of Cold Feet, The Missing and The Hobbit.
The actor will perform a poem written specially for the coronation by Daljit Nagra, Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, as projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations light up skies across the land.
English singer and songwriter Paloma Faith will also perform one of her hit songs “to soundtrack this eagerly anticipated part of the evening”, the BBC has confirmed.
Paloma Faith will also perform during the Coronation ConcertThe national light-up will also feature a choreographed lighting display, which will envelope Blackpool’s most well-known seafront attractions.
Elsewhere Sheffield Town Hall will showcase a light-up moment at its Peace Gardens, while Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge and Gateshead’s Millennium Bridge will both be lit up during the event.
Catherine Catton, the BBC’s Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events, said of the plans: “The Lighting up the Nation sequence promises to be a truly spectacular part of the Coronation Concert.
“With stunning light shows illuminating some of our most iconic locations, alongside performances from James Nesbitt and Paloma Faith, this is going to be a very special moment for people all across the country to come together in celebration.”
