A first television look at The Greatest Showman, Electricity from Billy Elliot the Musical and Idina Menzel singing Wicked with Stephen Schwartz: musical theatre fills much of this year's Royal Variety Performance bill at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 November.
A circus ring that London has not yet seen, a miner's son dancing his fury across the stage, and a naval choir filing in behind a wartime spy caper. That is the West End's share of the 2026 Royal Variety Performance, whose line-up the Royal Variety Charity confirmed on 27 October. The show is staged at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 20 November, with Their Majesties The King and Queen in attendance, and is filmed for broadcast over the Christmas holidays.
The headline slot goes to The Greatest Showman. The new stage adaptation will give viewers a world-exclusive television preview of its big opening number, The Greatest Show, ahead of its run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2027.
Billy Elliot the Musical brings Electricity, the number in which Billy tries to explain what dancing feels like. The appearance falls 21 years after the show first opened in London, and comes ahead of its return to the West End at the Adelphi Theatre.
Idina Menzel, who created the role of Elphaba, revisits Wicked with The Wizard & I, and the show's composer Stephen Schwartz joins her to mark the musical's 20th anniversary.
Two more current London productions are on the bill. Sam Ryder leads a medley from the Jesus Christ Superstar revival, while Avenue Q has rewritten two of its numbers for the night, with surprise star cameos.
The biggest company of the evening belongs to Operation Mincemeat. Its current and original casts share the stage with the Royal Naval Association Choir, the Band of the Royal Marines, the Band of the Irish Guards and the Band of the Welsh Guards Fanfare Team.
Jason Manford hosts for the third year running, his sixth Royal Variety appearance in all. "What a huge privilege to be asked to host The Royal Variety Performance for a third time," he said.
Away from the musicals, Andrea Bocelli marks 30 years as an international star, James Blunt plays a set, Vanessa Williams sings Save The Best For Last and Jack Savoretti makes his Royal Variety debut. Hawkstone Farmers Choir, the first choir to win Britain's Got Talent, perform a special song, and Milton Jones and Phil Wang supply the comedy. The Ramadhani Brothers make their European debut, as does Veronika Ivanova, head balancer in Cirque Alice. Alfie Boe leads the National Anthem.
The main performance has sold out. Full details are on the Royal Variety Charity website.
Tickets for the featured shows are on sale now: Billy Elliot the Musical, Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstar, Avenue Q and Operation Mincemeat.
