What’s happening over the Coronation Bank Holiday Weekend?

The start of May usually means one thing – Bank Holiday season is well and truly upon us! That rings even more true this year, with the Coronation of King Charles this weekend adding another to this year’s calendar. There’s a whole host of events taking place to mark the occasion if you’re looking to join in with the celebrations, although also still plenty to look forward to this weekend if you’re just looking forward to an extra day off of work!

If you’re interested in following the Coronation, here’s what to expect on each day:

Saturday 6th May

Saturday is the big day, with the Coronation Service taking place at Westminster Abbey before the Coronation Procession later takes place at Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen will travel in procession from Buckingham Palace at around 10:20am, although if you are in London and wish to see this in person, viewing areas open at 6am on the day. Large crowds are expected and so you may be directed to another viewing area if refused entry if the one you intend to visit is already at capacity. Details of how to watch in person are available on the GOV.UK website.

There will also be screening sites in London at Hyde Park, the Green Park and St James’s Park, where you will be able to watch coverage of the procession and ceremonies. Each venue has nearby Underground stations, so you can plan your route in advance if looking to go to one of these. If you need to check information whilst travelling, remember that you can enjoy free Wi-Fi on the London Underground courtesy of our sister-network Three.

If you following the event from elsewhere, it will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer, with a signed version available on BBC Two for those who are hard of hearing. The event will also be covered on BBC Radio and Sounds.

Sunday 7th May

First up on Sunday is the Coronation Big Lunch. Here, neighbours and communities across the country are encouraged to spend the afternoon together over some food. The initiative was set up by the Eden Project, who have provided various resources for hosting or attending an event on the Coronation Big Lunch website. Keen to contribute to some food to an event, but in need of some recipe inspiration? Check out our post on how to release your inner chef for our favourite food YouTubers!

On Sunday evening, the Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle. With Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, Take That, Andrea Bocelli and Freya Ridings performing, it’s a varied lineup to say the least! If you want to listen to the performances, the concert will also be broadcast on BBC One, Two and iPlayer, as well as being available to listen to on BBC Radio 2 and the BBC Sounds app.

Monday 8th May

Monday rounds out the Coronation activity with the Big Help Out. Organised by The Together Coalition and various other partners, the Big Help Out seeks to highlight how beneficial volunteering work can be for communities around the country, also encouraging members of the public to try volunteering on the day. The Big Help Out website provides details on how you can join in yourself or organise an event for others to participate in. Back during the third Covid lockdown, we made some volunteering recommendations if you’re looking for ideas of a cause to contribute to – you can find them here.

Other things to do this weekend

If you’re not looking to follow the Coronation celebrations this weekend, there’s still plenty of things happening elsewhere that might catch your interest.

If you enjoy a cinema trip, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has just been released. Many consider the eclectic gang of heroes’ first two films to be amongst the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and early reactions to the trilogy’s finale suggest it’s a suitably thrilling and emotionally charged conclusion to their whirlwind of a story.

There a few new things on streaming services this weekend. Romcom fans might enjoy Ticket to Paradise, which comes to Sky Cinema and NOW. Starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, the story follows a divorced couple as they travel to Bali to stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer. Meanwhile, as yesterday was “Star Wars Day”, there have been a couple of new releases from the franchise on Disney+. One is a second series of Star Wars: Visions, an anthology series of anime short films from a range of studios, so you can expect a range of standalone storylines and unique animation styles. For younger fans, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures has also been released, using a fun animated style to tell the story of a group of padawans learning abut their galaxy and what it takes to be a Jedi.

As ever, there’s plenty of sport to look out for this weekend. Newcastle United vs Arsenal on Sunday looks to be the pick of the Premier League matches this weekend, with Nottingham Forest vs Southampton on Monday also being hugely important for both teams as they fight to avoid relegation. In the Championship, Millwall vs Blackburn on Monday afternoon is another huge game, with the two teams fighting for the last remaining playoff spot for a shot at promotion. As well as football, the final round of Premiership Rugby matches take place on Saturday, with Bath vs Saracens and Bristol Bears vs Gloucester being shown on BT Sport. Also, this year’s Formula 1 campaign continues with the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday evening.

Gamers who haven’t yet made the jump to the latest generation of consoles may be happy to find that Hogwarts Legacy releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this weekend. Set in the 1800s, the game presents a new take on the much beloved Wizarding World, allowing players to create their own character to explore Hogwarts and its surroundings whilst experiencing an all new storyline. The main story alone typically takes around 25 and a half hours, with the game’s additional content adding around 40 extra hours’ worth of things to do. If you love the Harry Potter franchise or open world role playing games, this will likely be a hit for you!

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, be sure to kick back and relax. We’ve got two full five day weeks to get through before the next – however will we cope!?