Queen and Adam Lambert kick off much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace

The BBC‘s Party At The Palace kicked off with a spectacular appearance from Adam Lambert and Queen followed by performances by Craig David and Rod Stewart on Saturday night.

Adam, who took the place of lead singer Freddie Mercury, appeared on stage in front of a row of Palace officials playing drums and began belting out We Will Rock You for their opening number.

It came 20 years after guitarist Brian May performed God Save The Queen on Buckingham Palace’s roof during a show marking the Golden Jubilee in 2002. 

The singer, 40, showed off his sensational sense of style in a sweeping black jacket embellished with gold stitching, which he paired with black trousers and a shirt as he took to the stage.

During their opening number, Brian May incredibly appeared up from behind a golden stage on a huge platform as he rocked the guitar solo while Roger Taylor put on an incredible show behind the drums.

After beginning with a rocking start, they then went on to sing Don’t Stop Me Now, getting the crowd of 22,000 people clapping and cheering, before going on to belt out We Are The Champions.

And Kate Middleton appeared to be impressed by their amazing performance of Don’t Stop Me Now, as she was seen singing along in the Royal box, where she sat alongside her family. 

Lee Mack then took to the stage to host a presenting segment, where he comically paid tribute to the late singer Freddie by getting the crowd to cheer ‘ay-o’ before calling on the Royal box to do the same. 

DJ Jax Jones was the next singer to take to the stage and performed Instruction, with a special appearance from 10-year-old Nandi Bushell on the drums.

He then welcomed Mabel to the stage, who stunned in a yellow jumpsuit as she belted out Don’t Call Me Up alongside a crew of backup dancers.

He concluded his set with a performance of Where Did You Go?, with Jax playing electric guitar on a podium above the stage while dancers dressed in yellow performed below him. 

Following the DJ was Elbow, who put on an amazing performance of One Day Like This that got the crowd waving their arms in the air and singing along to the popular hit.

Next up was Diversity, with Ashley Banjo kicking off the performance with a spoken word segment as the dance troupe paid tribute to The Beatles in their first routine.

The dance number followed the influence of music through time, with the group putting on a disco-inspired performance to Night Fever by the Bee Gees.

Ashley then got the crowd clapping along to One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful before celebrating Britain’s musical subcultures – including rap and grime music – in a complex dance routine. 

Ashley ended their segment on the words, ‘where pop music goes from here, I’m exciting to see’, before Craig David appeared on stage in a sparkling blue tracksuit.

The singer, 41, did not fail to capture attention in his glittering ensemble as he belted out party anthem Ain’t Giving Up. 

He then got behind the DJ decks as he performed Re-Rewind before getting the crowds dancing along to Fill Me In while a London phone-box was projected on the screen behind him.

Mimi Webb then appeared on a platform behind the stage in a stunning white blazer dress, which she teamed with a pair of silver knee-high boots.

The star, 21, belted out her hit track House On Fire while her backing dancers showed off their incredible moves behind her.

Andrew Lloyd Webber next appeared on stage to praise the Queen for having a reign that has outlived any musical before welcoming ‘American royalty’ Lin-Manuel Miranda on stage. 

The musical pair then performed a Hamilton duet on the piano, with the lyrics changed to pay tribute to Her Majesty, with Lin-Manuel hilariously joking that he didn’t know what a Platinum Jubilee meant because he is American.

The cast of Hamilton then took to the stage to perform, before another smash musical took to the stage, with Andrew taking to the keys to welcome The Phantom of the Opera.

The all-female cast of Six, which follows the stories of Henry VIII’s six ex-wives, took over with a dramatic performance of the pop track Ex Wives.

And as the musical medley continued, Jason Donovan sang Any Dream Will Do with the cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with Camilla seen waving her Union Jack as she appeared to enjoy the rendition.

In an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical medley, the cast of The Lion King then took over from the operatic number, launching into an energetic performance of The Circle Of Life.

Celebrities then paid tribute to the Queen’s 70-year reign in a sweet montage, with Daniel Craig hilariously referencing the 2012 Olympic stunt with the monarch, which saw her pretend to jump out a helicopter with him. 

‘I would follow you anywhere Ma’am, out of any helicopter door,’ the James Bond star joked.

Michelle Obama then paid tribute to the Queen and said she was ‘honoured’ to have spent time with Her Majesty during her time as First Lady. 

She added: ‘Whether you were welcoming a nervous First Lady to Buckingham Palace for the first time, or being nice to our kids, I feel honoured to have spent time with you over the years.’ 

Following the tributes, Eurovision’s Sam Ryder then took to the stage in a sequinned Union Jack jumpsuit as he belted out his hit track Spaceman, which saw him come in second place on the song contest. 

And Prince Charles appeared to thoroughly enjoy the performance as he was seen clapping and smiling after listening to the track.

Next on stage was George Ezra, who cut a smart figure in a purple suit as he played guitar and took centre-stage to sing Green Green Grass and Shotgun.

His incredible performance paid off after George had earlier admitted his nerves ahead of taking to the stage for the much-anticipated Jubilee concert.

‘It didn’t really dawn on me until we got here. It’s a big deal,’ he said. ‘We are just playing a small part in this big day.’ 

And Sir Rod Stewart then got the crowds dancing as he belted out Baby Jane with his recognisable raspy vocals alongside three back-up singers, who wore dresses mirroring the Union Jack colours.

Sir Rod, 77, put on a vibrant display in a bright yellow suit jacket, which he paired with black trousers and a crisp white shirt for the popping performance.

He did not fail to disappoint the as he went straight on to sing hit anthem Sweet Caroline, by Neil Diamond, sending the crowds wild as they sang along.

Turning to sport, Tom Daley and Jessica Ennis-Hill both appeared on stage to thank the Queen and introduce the next musical act.

Tom joked that before he became known for knitting clothes during the Covid-19 lockdown, he was famous for being a diving champion.

And addressing the Queen, he added: ‘Thank you for your support and your belief, it is our great honour to bring pride to this country.’ 

They then introduced Italian operatic singer Andrea Bocelli on stage, who left the crowds completely silent as he amazed with a performance of Nessun Dorma.

After his awe-inspiring performance, Duran Duran took to the stage with American musician Nile Rodgers to get the crowds dancing again with an upbeat performance.

With pictures of the Queen and ’70 years on’ projected on Buckingham Palace in a colourful display behind them, the British band sang Girl On Film in what seemed to be a pop-inspired tribute to Her Majesty.

As they performed, models dressed in extravagant colourful gowns strutted their stuff on a catwalk leading down the centre of the stage and out into the crowds. 

In further tributes to The Queen, Julie Roberts thanked Her Majesty for her service to the country, while Mo Farah said a ‘wholehearted thank you’ to her.

And tennis star Emma Raducanu added: ‘I know what it’s like to feel pressure on the tennis court, but for 70 years you have remained calm at all times, thank you for everything Your Majesty.’ 

Returning to the stage, Alicia Keys also appeared to pay tribute to The Queen’s reign in her choice of song, titled Superwoman – as the words were projected on to the Palace behind her.

Continuing along the same theme, Alicia – who stunned in a black cape with gold embellishments on the shoulders – then belted out her hit track Girl On Fire alongside a choir of backing singers.

The singer showed off her incredible talents as a pianist as she played while singing her perfect vocals, going on to perform New York after paying tribute to London, saying the city always makes her feel ‘at home’.

As nighttime fell, the crowd could be seen holding up their light-up wristbands, with the Mall becoming a sea of light as she captured attention with her impressive vocal range. 

Before the concert began, the Queen hilariously hosted a sketch with popular children’s character Paddington Bear, after her 007 sketch at the London 2012 Olympics.

The monarch and the famous bear – both much loved British institutions – tapped out the beat of the We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way. 

The secretly-pre-recorded humorous sequence played at the start of the televised BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace, the unlikely duo set the rhythm for opening act Queen + Adam Lambert – who joined in on the main stage. 

The duo were pictured sat opposite each other at a table, laid for afternoon tea, covered with a white linen cloth in an opulent room.

Paddington began by telling the Queen that he hoped she was ‘having a lovely Jubilee’ before Her Majesty offered some tea.

The bear was quick to forget his manners as he sat in the lavish dining room drinking from the spout of the teapot. 

Accident-prone Paddington was shown causing mayhem by accidentally depriving the understanding sovereign of another cup of tea and spraying cream from a chocolate eclair over a Palace Footman.

During an adorable moment, the Queen revealed she shares Paddington’s love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag.

The duffle-coat wearing bear showed the Queen how he ensured he always had his favourite treat on him just in case, lifting up his red hat to reveal his snack.

The Queen responded by admitting: ‘So do I’ before opening her bag and declaring ‘I keep mine in here’ to show her very own ready-made supply of the bread and orange preserve staple.

The sketch wasn’t all light-hearted jokes as Britain’s favourite bear congratulated his new friend on her outstanding 70 years of service.

Commenting on her record-breaking reign Paddington said: ‘Happy Jubilee Ma’am. And thank you. For everything’ to which she replied, ‘That’s very kind.’

It brought back memories of the Queen’s James Bond skit for the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, when the monarch met 007, played by Daniel Craig, and then appeared to parachute into the stadium, with the help of a body double.

Ahead of the Jubilee party, a sweet montage was aired with celebrities paying tribute to Her Majesty as they marked her 70-year reign.

Addressing the Queen, Dolly Parton said: ‘Thank you for being wonderful, you have been a shining diamond in this world for so long and everyone loves you, and I love you.’ 

While Michael Buble added: ‘I’d like to wish Your Majesty and family so much love.’

And Geri Halliwell gushed: ‘Our Queen, kind, loving, strong, serving our country, the Commonwealth, uniting us all together, always putting others before yourself, you are truly inspirational inside and out, we love you.’ 

In a separate segment, Shirley Ballas paid tribute to the Queen as she sweetly said the monarch was the ‘epitome of girl power’.

‘Seventy years she has served our country, she is the epitome for me of girl power! I think she has got this really cheeky grin all the time and this wonderful demeanour that makes you feel comfortable,’ she said. ‘I’m proud to be British because of her.’

In an interview ahead of the performance, EastEnders’ Rose Ayling-Ellis reflected on Prince Charlies and Camilla visiting the set of the soap opera.

Rose, who won the 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing with Giovanni Pernice, revealed that Camilla told her that she and her children all voted for her every week on the show.  

Rose said: ‘The Royal family vote for me, that’s just mad!’ 

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee enters its third day today with the Epsom Derby and Party At The Palace concert, featuring Diana Ross, Sir Rod Stewart, Sam Ryder and more.

They are part of a series of major events scheduled for the four-day extravaganza, which began on Thursday with Trooping the Colour and a jaw-dropping 71-aircraft Flypast.

The celebration will end on Sunday with a special Pageant celebrating the life of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch. 

During Saturday’s concert, Charles and William are preparing to deliver public tributes at the concert to the Queen, who will be watching on television from Windsor.

The evening will also feature appearances from sports figures and stars of the stage and screen.

Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry, Dame Julie Andrews, The Royal Ballet and Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds will all make appearances.