The Unveiling of ‘The People’s Pageant’   

The team behind the creation of the historic Platinum Jubilee Pageant today revealed more information about the astounding spectacle which will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and surrounding streets on the afternoon of Sunday 5th June 2022.

‘The People’s Pageant’ is a showcase of the people and creativity of the UK and Commonwealth, and the changing times of the past seventy years as well as The Queen’s reign. The vibrant and colourful procession will cover a 3km route to echo the Coronation seventy years prior, and will take in the Mall up to Buckingham Palace.

A Jubilee is a national celebration, an opportunity for the people to show affection and appreciation for the Monarch. The first Jubilee took place in 1809, in the reign of King George III. A subsequent two Jubilees were celebrated during Queen Victoria’s reign, followed by a single Pageant for George V. The 5th June will be the fourth Jubilee Pageant during Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign.

An estimated one billion people across multiple platforms, including a live television broadcast on the day, will view the Pageant across the world, some at home, many together at community events and others in crowds lining The Mall.

More than 10,000 people are involved in producing the Pageant from communities across the UK and Commonwealth. The people involved are all marking this extraordinary moment and taking the opportunity to thank Her Majesty; to look back with gratitude on 70 years of dedicated service, and also, importantly, to look forward with optimism to our shared future.

From Scottish bagpipers, to school children in Birmingham, to creatives from Cardiff, to performers from Belfast, to dancers in Bristol, to students in Coventry, to puppeteers on the Isle of Wight, to carnival clubs in Somerset, the people of the UK and Commonwealth will come together to celebrate and honour Her Majesty.

Adrian Evans, Pageant Master of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant said: “A Platinum Jubilee is unique. In all our history there has never been an opportunity to celebrate a seventy year reign. We aim to make this a most magnificent occasion, one in which the nation can show its affection and appreciation to the Monarch. The Platinum Pageant is then, a ‘thank you’ to The Queen, a thank you from us all.”

David Zolkwer, Show Director, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant said: “This is very much a ‘People’s Pageant’ – it’s by and from the people. It’s about ordinary people coming together from far and wide to do extraordinary things; real people with delightful, authentic stories to tell; taking centre stage in a spectacular performance filled with wonder, warmth, wit and so much humanity. It will be all about how, through the recollections and stories and experiences we share we can see how we are all connected – through time; to each other; and to The Queen.”

The spectacle will include giant hot air balloons, a colossal oak tree flanked with maypole dancers, a huge wedding cake ‘baked’ by acrobats, a towering dragon, three-story high figures and beasts, vibrant moving sculptures and flocks of dancers and acrobats representing all corners of the Commonwealth.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant is an astounding procession that will tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in four acts:

Act I: FOR QUEEN AND COUNTRY

To mark the beginning of the Pageant, the bells of Westminster Abbey will peel as they did on Coronation Day. This will be followed by a military parade featuring UK Armed Forces from all three Services accompanied by massed bands, along with military personnel from across the Commonwealth including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Ghana, Belize, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and beyond. With around 1,750 individuals and 200 horses, this will be one of the largest military spectacles in modern history, set to the sounds of military massed bands from across all three services.

Whilst thanking The Queen for her seventy years of service to her country and recognising her role of Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, the Pageant will honour the service of the people, including the role of the military who play a fundamental part of the fabric of society, most recently distributing the Covid vaccine across the country.

Act II: THE TIME OF OUR LIVES

The Time of Our Lives will showcase a jubilant procession like no other, an evocation of the seven decades of The Queen’s extraordinary reign. A cast of 2,500 volunteers and members of the public (the oldest of which is 99 years old!) will celebrate how British and Commonwealth creativity and culture has evolved through the seven decades of The Queen’s reign from 1952 to 2022. With a showcase of youth culture, popular music, dance styles, changing fashion and all the trends, fads and crazes that defined the times. It will be a nostalgic demonstration of transforming society and take spectators on an epic journey through time, iconic British moments and extraordinary change and progress.

In addition to the live cast, 500 vintage cars and motorbikes and bicycles will appear including some ‘special guest vehicles’ such as Daleks and Sinclair C5s to a fleet of iconic cars from James Bond movies dating back to the 1960s.

An open-topped double decker bus, styled and wrapped in graphics depicting the icons, trends, personalities and news of the times will form the be the central feature highlighting each decade. These buses will be like a set of scrapbooks curated to capture our collective experience and the zeitgeist of the times.

The Time of Our Lives will also feature 150 ‘national treasures’ including TV personalities, musicians, chefs, sportspeople, designer, and artists who have helped shape British culture of the last 70 years. These include Sir Cliff Richard, Heston Blumenthal, Rosie Jones, Kadeena Cox, Alan Titchmarsh, James Martin, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Gary Lineker and childhood favourites such as Basil Brush. They will sit alongside icons of the future such as 11-year-old Nandi Bushell, drumming phenomenon, and activist, who will be a featured performer in the Pageant. Nandi will represent a symbol of excitement and possibility for the future.

All of the above will come together to create continuous 1.5km river of time. There is still time for those who live and breathe the fashions of the times to join these national treasures, celebrating their favourite decade and being part of history. Entries are still welcome here https://cast.platinumpageant.com/.

ACT III: LET’S CELEBRATE

Twelve chapters will tell the story of The Queen’s reign and personal interests with which Her Majesty is associated. Harnessing creativity, ingenuity, humour and community spirit, it involves around 2,500 people drawn from communities across the UK.

Act III celebrates The Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 and Coronation in 1953, Her Majesty’s commitment to the Commonwealth and communities across the United Kingdom, love of nature, respect for all faiths, recognition of our key workers and those who have devoted their lives to charity. Horses and corgis will also play a special role in the Pageant, as they have throughout Her Majesty’s lifetime.

Each section is unique, combining street theatre, music-on-the-move, urban dance, and the very best of Carnival, May Day, Mela, Fiesta and Mardi Gras. It has been conceived as an interpretation and celebration of The Queen’s extraordinary life experience.

The ‘Let’s Celebrate’ act will begin with a moving dragon structure bigger than a double decker bus from Plymouth-based cross-disciplinary artist group, Trigger. Other showstopping chapters in the Pageant include ‘From Tiny Acorns’ produced by outdoor arts companies, Emergency Exit Arts and Mandinga. It will feature a huge moving oak tree, from which ribbons will emerge and Maypole dancers will perform around it on the move.

Bristol-based contemporary circus artist group, Cirque Bijou will produce the ‘Unity’ chapter of the Pageant’s ‘Let’s Celebrate’ act. The future is projected through fashion, music and the physical prowess of elite athletes and performers, both disabled and non-disabled.

The piece features performers and acrobats animating a large mobile stage which is a deconstructed Union Flag. There will be a group of elite BMX stunt cyclists jumping from the stage on to Land Rovers moving alongside. The mobile structure also features a trampoline wall and a celebrity DJ. The Paralympic rugby and basketball teams will take part, and 90 young hip-hop dancers from the Tottenham-based group Steppaz. The centrepiece will be an aerialist artist, suspended beneath a vast huge helium balloon (heliosphere) bearing the image of Her Majesty The Queen.

‘The Coronation’ chapter from Brent based Mahogany will feature a huge wire framed structure of The Queen. Her Majesty’s purple and white coronation robe will be made up of 80 dancers. They will be flanked by twirling ‘baianas’ and elder members of the community riding mobility scooters modified into flamingos.

‘The Wedding Party’ by art focused performance company, Nutkhut will feature a giant four tier wedding cake, ‘baked’ by acrobats on the move. It will be followed by children from the George Dixon Academy in Birmingham. Dancers will wear a Platinum Jubilee Pageant Sari designed for the act by a well-known fashion designer and Bournemouth University fashion students.

ACT IV: HAPPY AND GLORIOUS

A finale like no other will form around the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace with all parts of the Pageant leading to this moment. It will serve as an opportunity to gather and pay tribute to Her Majesty with the singing of the National Anthem, ‘God Save the Queen’ and a gospel choir to the sounds of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.

Members of the viewing public will be invited to become part of the performance, as they gather around the Queen Victoria Memorial outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. The finale will be joined by national treasures from the world of the performing arts, entertainment, fashion, business and media, including Jeremy Irons, Bill Bailey and Gok Wan. Led by one of the world’s best-selling music artists, Ed Sheeran, together, there is an opportunity to pay a special tribute to Her Majesty during the finale.

Ed 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.”

Another key goal of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant is to leave a lasting legacy of hope for the future of the UK’s young people. The Pageant is working with several schools and youth organisations to build skills and hope for the future. These include The Ideas Foundation, Engineering Development Trust, The George Dixon Academy, Steppaz, E14 Dance School, schools involved in The River of Hope, Queen’s Park Community School in Brent, House of Wings, Marcus Rashford’s youth project, Wardle Academy brass band and many more.