Sam Ryder performed Space Man this evening at the Platinum Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace.
Just three weeks on from Sam Ryder giving the United Kingdom at 2nd place finish at Eurovision 2022, he’s back on the world stage, performing as part of a star-studded lineup at the BBC’s Platinum Jubilee Party, a 2-and-a-half-hour concert, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.
Attending the concert, among others, were the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Although she had originally planned to attend the event, the Queen watched on television from Windsor Castle. She did make a pre-recorded appearance at the beginning, in a film where she shared tea and sandwiches with Paddington Bear.
Sam Ryder shared the stage with a whole host of talents including Queen + Adam Lambert, Diana Ross, Elbow, Mica Paris, Duran Duran, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jax Jones, John Newman, Stefflon Don, Rod Stewart, Mabel, Craig David, Ella Eyre, George Ezra, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer & Celeste, Mimi Webb, Sigala and Elton John.
For the occasion, Sam performed a new rendition of Space Man, especially for the Jubilee, with an extended ending, which went down very well with the crowd. Sam also wore a costume, not too dissimilar to his Eurovision attire, but styled to look like the Union Flag, in celebration of the Queen. He also changed the final “I’m up in space, man” to “I’m up in space, ma’am” in reference to the occasion. Parlophone Records have officially released this version as a single.
Following a huge applause from the crowd, the camera panned over to the Royal box where the Princess Royal was seen sharing words with the Prince of Wales, saying something along the lines of “wasn’t he good?”.
Sam Ryder wasn’t the only person with Eurovision relations at the concert. As previously mentioned, John Newman, the much more successful brother of James Newman (who came last in 2021), performed.
Additionally, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the UK’s 2009 entry It’s My Time and appeared on stage in Moscow, on the piano, performed a series of his most famous musical theatre hits. That’s not all, composer wise, as Ella Eyre, who Eurovision fans will know as composing Black Smoke (Germany’s 2015 ill-fated nil pointer) performed.
Andrea Bocelli, the world-famous opera singer, performed Nessun dorma at the concert, but Eurovision fans might know him more for winning the Sanremo Music Festival in 1994, just two-years after Italy withdrew from the contest. If Italy had still been participating, Bocelli would’ve been presented with the first right of refusal to represent Italy in Dublin.
Huh. I didn’t know that Diana Ross is even still alive.