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| Royal Variety Performance | |
|---|---|
 Little Mix Performing at The Royal Variety Performance in 2015 | |
| Also known as | Royal Command Performance |
| Genre | Variety show |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 91(list of episodes) |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release |
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| Related | |
| Tonight at the London Palladium | |
TheRoyal Variety Performance is a televisedvariety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for theRoyal Variety Charity (of whichKing Charles III is life-patron).[1] It is attended by senior members of theBritish royal family.[2] The evening's performance is presented as a livevariety show, usually from a theatre in London and consists of family entertainment that includescomedy,music,dance,magic and other speciality acts.
TheRoyal Variety Performance traditionally begins with the entrance of the members of the royal family followed by the singing of the national anthem, "God Save the King", which was also performed by the participating acts as a traditional end to Royal Variety Performances; with the exception of 2020 due to thecoronavirus pandemic, as a result of which, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" opened that year's show instead, sung by that year's host,Jason Manford. After each performance, the performer bows twice, one to the audience and then to the Royal Family.
The first performance, on 1 July 1912, was called theRoyal Command Performance, and this name has persisted informally for the event. This was held in thePalace Theatre,Shaftesbury Avenue, London, in the presence ofKing George V andQueen Mary. After correspondence with theatre impresario SirEdward Moss, the King said he would command a Royal Variety show in hisCoronation year, 1911, provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund, as the Royal Variety Charity was then known. It was planned to be in theEmpire Theatre,Edinburgh, part of the vastMoss Empires group, but the building caught on fire a month before the show. After the death of Moss, SirAlfred Butt was chosen as the impresario and it was staged in 1912.[3] This was a lavish occasion, and his LondonPalace Theatre was lavishly decorated, complete with some three million rose petals.
Top performers includedVesta Tilley,Sir George Robey,David Devant,Anna Pavlova,Harry Lauder andCecilia Loftus. The organisers did not inviteMarie Lloyd, because of a professional dispute. Her act was deemed too risqué and her three public, unsuccessful marriages were thought to make her unfit to perform in front of royalty.[4] She held a rival performance in a nearby theatre, which she advertised was "by command of the British public". The name of the event was changed to prevent possible royal embarrassment. The Royal Variety Performance became an annual event at the suggestion of King George V from 1921 and from 1927 theBritish Broadcasting Corporation began to broadcast it on radio.
From 1928 to 1938, the impresario-producer and manager of theLondon Palladium,George Black, took over the presentation of the Royal Variety Performance. He would also facilitate as compere at the shows. His first production was held on 1 March 1928 at theLondon Coliseum and from 1930 to 1937 he held the shows at theLondon Palladium. His 1938 show returned to theLondon Coliseum. Throughout World War II from 1939 to 1944 no shows were presented. The show resumed in 1945 after the war ended.
From 1960 to 2010, the BBC andITV broadcast a recorded version of the show, alternating the production between their two main channels, with the BBC producing and televising the 'even years' and ITV televising the 'odd years'. In both 1976 and 1978, the BBC broadcast the show live. The show was staged mainly in aWest End theatre. Prior to 1999, only two shows were staged outside London (1955 in Blackpool and 1959 in Manchester), but in 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009, Royal Varieties were aired on ITV from regional theatres outside London. ITV secured exclusive rights to televise the show in 2011.[5] The show has been frequently staged in theLondon Palladium theatre, and in the 1950s and 1960s a television show based on the same idea, calledSunday Night at the London Palladium and hosted by many entertainers, includingBruce Forsyth, ran for over 20 years.
A wide range of acts has performed at the Royal Variety Performance, includingLaurel and Hardy in 1947,The Beatles in 1963,the Supremes in 1968 andthe Blue Man Group in 2005.Max Bygraves andCliff Richard are two of the most frequent performers, having appeared at least14 and 13 times each respectively between 1950 and 2008. The Beatles appeared at the 1963 show, whenJohn Lennon delivered the famous line:
For our last number I'd like to ask your help: Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewellery.
The money raised by the Royal Variety Performance provides most of the funding for theRoyal Variety Charity (formerly the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund) and its care-home for retired members of the entertainment profession and their dependents,Brinsworth House.[6][7]
In 1974,Noele Gordon presented the Royal Variety Performance making her the first female presenter of the show.[8]
After the first Royal Variety Performance on 1 July 1912 presented bySir Alfred Butt, it was seven years before the next show, on 28 July 1919 held at theColiseum Theatre presented this time by SirOswald Stoll. The orchestra was conducted byEdward Elgar. In 1921 it moved to theHippodrome, and was held in November. It was the first time that the Royal Variety Performance became an annual event. In 1923 it moved to theColiseum Theatre. Then after a gap in 1924, moved to theAlhambra Theatre in February 1925, where it remained in 1926, held on 27 May. It was the first Royal Variety Performance to be broadcast, with the BBC providing live radio coverage.
In 1927 there was another move, this time to theVictoria Palace Theatre, with J. A. Webb the compère. The 1928 show, on 13 December, was held at theColiseum Theatre. The next show, on 22 May 1930, moved to theLondon Palladium withGeorge Black andVal Parnell compèring. It was the start of seven successive years at the venue.
In 1935 the Royal Variety Performance was held in theSilver Jubilee year ofKing George V andQueen Mary. This was the last time King George V attended – he died three months later, in January 1936.
There have been two Royal Scottish Variety Performances, both attended byQueen Elizabeth II, and presented byHoward & Wyndham Ltd in Glasgow'sAlhambra Theatre, which Sir Alfred Butt had opened, in 1958 and 1963.[3] The Children's Royal Variety Performance was devised by entertainerRod Hull in 1981[9] and took place in London until 1994 in aid ofNSPCC.
In 1990,A Royal Birthday Gala to celebrate the 90th birthday ofQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, was staged at the London Palladium on 19 July, replacing the traditional November/December Royal Variety Show that year. In place of the traditional show, a special programme calledThirty Years of the Royal Variety Performance aired on BBC One on 29 December 1990. It was hosted byBruce Forsyth and took a look back at the BBC's television broadcasts of the programme over 30 years, with clips from the archives.[10] After this variation, from 1991, the traditional variety show returned.
In 2018 the show was hosted by comedianGreg Davies and performed six months after the marriage ofPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex who attended it with his new wife.[11] This year's aftershow party and banquet was held with entertainment from magicians, such asJay & Joss and popular band, The Masqueraders.[12]
However in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual version was held, opening with a virtual message from the thenPrince of Wales followed by "As If We Never Said Goodbye" sung by that year's hostJason Manford.
The Royal Variety performance of 2023, held in theRoyal Albert Hall, was hosted byBradley Walsh. The headline act was performed byCher.
Since 2007, one act of the Royal Variety show has been selected by the British public through theITV televisiontalent showBritain's Got Talent. A publictelephone vote decides the most popular act in each semi-final, which then progresses to the final, along with a second act chosen by the judges. The grand final is then broadcast live and all the acts perform again for the public vote.
There have been a total of 17 theatres that have staged the 93Royal Variety Performances, and the1912 Royal Command Performance. Out of the total of 93 shows, 75 have been in London theatres and seven in other cities and towns.
Note: Where no town or city is noted in the theatre column in the following table, the venue is situated in London.
| Theatre | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| London Palladium | 43 | 1930–1937, 1946–1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1964–1978, 1980, 1987–1990, 2008, 2010, 2013–2014, 2017–2019 |
| London Coliseum | 10 | 1919, 1923, 1928, 1938, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1958, 2004, 2006 |
| Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | 7 | 1979, 1981–1983, 1985–1986, 1991 |
| Dominion Theatre | 7 | 1992–1996, 2000–2001 |
| Victoria Palace Theatre | 6 | 1927, 1951, 1955, 1960, 1984, 1997 |
| Royal Albert Hall | 6 | 2012, 2015, 2021–2024 |
| Opera House Theatre, Blackpool | 3 | 1955, 2009, 2020 |
| Hippodrome, London | 2 | 1921–1922 |
| Alhambra Theatre | 2 | 1925–1926 |
| Prince of Wales Theatre | 2 | 1961, 1963 |
| Hammersmith Apollo | 2 | 2002, 2016 |
| Palace Theatre, London | 1 | 1912 |
| Palace Theatre, Manchester | 1 | 1959 |
| Lyceum Theatre | 1 | 1998 |
| Birmingham Hippodrome | 1 | 1999 |
| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 1 | 2003 |
| Wales Millennium Centre,Cardiff | 1 | 2005 |
| Liverpool Empire Theatre | 1 | 2007 |
| The Lowry,Salford Quays,Salford | 1 | 2011 |
A total of 17 members of the royal family have attended the 86Royal Variety Performances, and the1912 Royal Command Performance.
| Name | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth II[c] | 39 | 1945–47, 1949, 1952–58, 1960, 1962, 1964–65, 1967, 1969–71, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989–90, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012 |
| Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother[d] | 26 | 1937–38, 1945–51, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990–91 |
| Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | 26 | 1947, 1953–55, 1957–58, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1969–70, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989–90, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012 |
| King Charles III[e] | 17 | 1968, 1977, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020,[f] 2024[g] |
| King George V | 15 | 1912, 1919, 1921–23, 1925–28, 1930–35 |
| Queen Mary | 15 | 1912, 1919, 1921–23, 1925–28, 1930–35 |
| King George VI | 8 | 1937–38, 1945–50 |
| Princess Margaret | 7 | 1949, 1951, 1963, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1988, 1990 |
| Prince William, Prince of Wales | 6 | 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 |
| Catherine, Princess of Wales | 6 | 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 |
| Queen Camilla[h] | 5 | 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016 |
| Princess Anne, Princess Royal | 3 | 1968, 1972, 2011 |
| Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex | 2 | 2015, 2018 |
| Diana, Princess of Wales | 2 | 1984, 1992 |
| Anthony, Earl of Snowdon | 2 | 1966, 1968 |
| Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones | 1 | 1984 |
| Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh | 1 | 2022[14] |
| Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh | 1 | 2022[14] |
| Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | 1 | 2018 |
| Sarah, Duchess of York | 1 | 1986 |
| Queen Maud of Norway | 1 | 1922 |
| Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden | 1 | 2023[15] |
| Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland | 1 | 2023[15] |
The performance is broadcast on television throughout the world and is considered by many to be a tradition of theChristmas and New Year holiday season, particularly within the 56 countries of theCommonwealth of Nations. For example, in Norway the programme is broadcast on NRK following the chimes of midnight eachNew Year's Eve with Norwegian subtitles and in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean Islands and the Bahamas it is broadcast during the afternoon of Christmas Day, every year. In Canada, it has aired onCBC variously onBoxing Day,New Year's Eve orNew Year's Day.[16][17]
ITV is contracted by theRoyal Variety Charity for TV production and in the UK is the sole broadcaster, having shared that responsibility with theBBC between 1960 and 2010.[5]
In the 1960s, the televised edition of the show was the number one rated show for the entire year in the UK in 1960–1963, 1965, and 1967–1968, with the show ranked 6th in 1964, 3rd in 1966, and 2nd in 1969.[18]
In the 1970s, the show topped the annual rankings in 1975 and ranked 8th in 1970, 4th in 1971, 9th in 1976 and 3rd in 1977.[19]
Ratings sourced fromBARB.
| Airdate | Viewers (millions) | Broadcaster | Overnight share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 December 1998 | 11.24 | BBC One | — |
| 4 December 1999 | 10.60 | ITV | 41.0%[20] |
| 17 December 2000 | 7.92 | BBC One | — |
| 28 November 2001 | 11.55 | ITV | 47.0%[21] |
| 15 December 2002 | 8.19 | BBC One | 30.9%[22] |
| 26 November 2003 | 8.56 | ITV | 36.8%[23] |
| 15 December 2004 | 6.60 | BBC One | 31.0%[23] |
| 11 December 2005 | 9.82 | ITV | 36.8%[24] |
| 12 December 2006 | 7.98 | BBC One | 33.7%[24] |
| 9 December 2007 | 7.78 | ITV | 27.2%[24] |
| 17 December 2008 | 7.75 | BBC One | 31.7%[25] |
| 16 December 2009 | 9.56 | ITV | 37.4%[26] |
| 16 December 2010 | 8.90 | BBC One | 33.0%[26] |
| 14 December 2011 | 7.61[i] | ITV | 29.2%[27] |
| 3 December 2012 | 9.24[j] | 33.7%[28] | |
| 9 December 2013 | 8.30[k] | 31.3%[29] | |
| 8 December 2014 | 7.64[l] | 28.7%[30] | |
| 8 December 2015 | 4.94 | 24.3%[31] | |
| 13 December 2016 | 5.13 | 22.0%[32] | |
| 19 December 2017 | 4.86 | 22.1%[33] | |
| 11 December 2018 | 5.01 | 21.7%[34] | |
| 10 December 2019 | 5.06 | — | |
| 8 December 2020 | 4.27 | — | |
| 19 December 2021[35] | 4.74 | — | |
| 20 December 2022 | 3.60 | — | |
| 17 December 2023[36] | 4.05 | — | |
| 15 December 2024 | 3.49 | — |
The show was filmed on Thursday 18 November at the Royal Albert Hall. It will air on ITV1 on Sunday, December 19 at 7:20pm.
