![Royal Variety Performance 2024 – What we know so far [Updated]](https://www.westendtheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Royal-Variety-Performance.jpg "Royal Variety Performance 2024 – What we know so far [Updated]")
News about the Royal Variety Charity’s annual Royal Variety Performance 2024, the annual showbiz charity event attended by the Royal Family, and starring an array of West End shows, pop superstars, comedians, entertainers and more.
Held every November at the spectacular Royal Albert Hall in London, the Royal Variety Performance is one of the theatrical highlights of the year, showcasing a number of big West End musicals.
The Royal Variety Performance was broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday 15 December at 8pm, and is now available to watch on ITVX.
NEW UPDATES
15 December 2024: Check out new videos of Oliver!, Starlight Express, and The Devil Wears Prada – see below.
13 December 2024: ITV has released photos of this year’s Royal Variety Performance – see below to check them out
11 December 2024: Get a first-look at this year’s Royal Variety Performance, with a trailer from ITV. The teaser trailer shows highlights of this year’s Royal Variety Performance, including performances from Starlight Express, Oliver! and The Devil Wears Prada.
9 December 2024: Hosts Amanda Holden and Alan Carr appeared on BBC’s The One Show to talk about the Royal Variety Performance – and we got a first look at the show. Read more
First-look The Royal Variety Performance 2024 (The One Show)
28 November 2024: ITV has confirmed the date and time for broadcasting this year’s Royal Variety Performance. The event will be aired on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 15 December at 8pm.
25 November 2024: The Stage newspaper has reviewed this year’s Royal Variety Performance, with Paul Vale giving the show four stars ★★★★ and hailing it as “electrifying”. See below for more quotes.
On 19 November 2024, ITV announced the line-up of stars and shows to appear in this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Big West End shows include The Devil Wears Prada The Musical, which is now playing at the Dominion Theatre, Starlight Express, now playing at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London, and the revival of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! coming to the Gielgud Theatre.
What date is the Royal Variety Performance 2024?
The Royal Variety Charity announced on 8 March 2024 that this year’s 2024 Royal Variety Performance would be held on Friday 22 November 2024.
Where is the Royal Variety Performance 2024?
As in previous year’s the 2024 Royal Variety Performance will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, one of the UK’s finest concert halls, seating over 5,000 people.
Tickets for the event have already sold out.
Can I watch the Royal Variety Performance at home?
Yes, ITV broadcast the Royal Variety Performance in the UK.
This year’s The Royal Variety Performance was broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday 15 December at 8pm, and is now available to watch on ITVX.
Who will host the 2024 Royal Variety Performance?
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and comedian Alan Carr will host this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Last year’s host was Bradley Walsh.
Which members of the Royal Family will attend this year’s Royal Variety Performance?
The Royal Variety Charity confirmed on 12 November that this year’s Royal Variety Performance will be attended by their new Patron, HM The King, accompanied by HM The Queen. On the night, only The King attended the event, with a Buckingham Palace spokesperson saying: “Following a recent chest infection, The Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritise sufficient rest. With great regret, she has therefore withdrawn from attendance at tonight’s Royal Variety Performance. His Majesty will attend as planned.”
Who are the performers of this year’s Royal Variety Performance including Sydnie Christmas
Performers have now been announced for this year’s show, with some big name music stars, comedians, and the casts of some of London’s biggest West End shows.
Sydnie Christmas
Winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024 on ITV, Sydnie Christmas will be performing on the show as part of her BGT winning prize, which earned her a place performing at this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Sydnie will be accompanied by Dave Arch and The Royal Variety orchestra.
West End shows
Elton John and David Furnish will introduce a number from Elton’s brand new West End musical The Devil Wears Prada, featuring Vanessa Williams and the cast.
Also, Cameron Mackintosh’s much-anticipated revival of Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver! will perform on the show. Oliver! is coming to the Gielgud Theatre next month starring Simon Lipkin as Fagin and Shanay Holmes as Nancy.
There will also be a spectacular performance from the company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s immersive production of Starlight Express, now playing at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London.
Other theatre highlights include Cirque du Soleil (Cirque du Soleil – Corteo) performing a world exclusive from their Vegas show Ovo to celebrate their 40th anniversary; and English National Ballet will perform ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ from their Christmas production of Nutcracker, which is coming to the London Coliseum next month.
The team behind the smash-hit West End show The Play That Goes Wrong will also be debuting a sneak preview of their hilarious new West End show The Comedy About Spies, which comes to London next year.
Book tickets to shows featured on the Royal Variety Performance
Singers & musicians
The West End’s very own Marisha Wallace (Guys & Dolls, Dreamgirls) will perform a show-stopping number and lead this year’s National Anthem accompanied by the Fanfare Trumpeters of the Band of the Welsh Guards.
Other music acts performing this year include Eurovision winner Nemo, Brit Award-winner James Bay and disco diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who will be performing her latest hit and ‘Murder on The Dance Floor’!
Music will also come from TV daytime host Lorraine Kelly, who will make a special appearance with her Change and Check Choir, comprising of women from across the UK who detected their breast cancer through Lorraine’s trail-blazing campaign. The choir will be led by Marti Pellow performing ‘Love Is All Around’. The single is also being re-released to celebrate its 30th anniversary and to raise awareness of breast cancer early detection.
Magicians
Magic at this year’s Royal Variety Performance will include American magicians and comedy duo Penn and Teller, flying in for the show to celebrate their 50th anniversary, ahead of a big UK tour next year.
Also performing will be presenter and magician Stephen Mulhern, showcasing some incredible illusions.
Stand-up Comedy
Stand up comedy this year will be provided by Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso), political comic Matt Forde with a review of the year, writer and comic Scott Bennett, and award-winning Scottish comedian Larry Dean.
Photos of this year’s Royal Variety Performance 2024
ITV has released initial photos from the Royal Variety Performance 2024.
Videos of the Royal Variety Performance 2024
An initial on-air teaser trailer has been broadcast by ITV, ahead of the show playing on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 15 December.
Video: Oliver! at the Royal Variety Performance
Video: Starlight Express at the Royal Variety Performance
Video: The Devil Wears Prada at the Royal Variety Performance
Reviews of the Royal Variety Performance 2024
Currently the main news outlet to review this year’s Royal Variety Performance is Paul Vale in The Stage newspaper. He gave the live show at the Royal Albert Hall four stars ★★★★.
About the West End shows that appeared, he hailed new Mischief Theatre show The Comedy About Spies as getting “the biggest laughs of the evening”, and that the show “fuses old-school wordplay with MI5 satire. Think Carry On Smiley’s People, and you’re close.”
Vale also mentions the other West End shows – and stars – to perform. “The Royal Albert Hall makes the ultimate roller rink for a scene from Starlight Express, in which performers sweep through the auditorium launching into a joyful Light at the End of the Tunnel. Elton John is on hand to introduce a scene from The Devil Wears Prada, featuring Matt Henry, Georgie Buckland and Vanessa Williams as the waspish Miranda Priestley. There’s a generous medley from the upcoming transfer of Oliver!. Sumptuous costume designs from Lez Brotherston and Simon Lipkin’s ebullient Fagin combine to make this a genuine musical-theatre highlight. Reinforcing the West End flavour of the evening, Marisha Wallace opens, leading the national anthem, then later lends considerable vocal prowess to And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going from Dreamgirls.”
Book tickets to shows featured on the Royal Variety Performance 2024
LINKS
Read more about last year’s 2023 Royal Variety Performance, featuring shows including The Lion King, Frozen The Musical, Aladdin, and Sister Act, with West End stars including Hannah Waddingham, Samantha Barks and Beverley Knight.
Book tickets to The Devil Wears Prada at the Dominion Theatre London
Book tickets to Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre London
Book tickets to Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London
Book tickets to Cirque du Soleil – Corteo at the Royal Albert Hall in London
Book tickets to English National Ballet’s Nutcracker at the London Coliseum
More about tickets to The Comedy About Spies at the Noel Coward Theatre in London
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