Royal Variety Performance 2026: Fri., Nov. 20 at Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Variety Performance 2026 is on Friday, Nov. 20 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Royal Variety Charity says, with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. GMT (2:30 p.m. ET). The broadcast date on Independent Television (ITV) is not yet announced; WhatsOnStage and The Irish News both report only that it will air in December.

The charity’s announcement says the performance “will be held on Friday, 20th November 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall.” Its page for the show says it takes place “in the presence of Their Majesties The King & Queen.” Tickets are sold out, per the charity’s ticket page. The table below and the printable night guide cover the evening; the 2025 broadcast date is further down.

What time does the Royal Variety Performance start on Nov. 20?

The charity’s ticket store lists the running order of the evening: doors at 6 p.m., guests seated by 7 p.m. and a show start of 7:30 p.m., then the aftershow party at the Natural History Museum. GMT is the same as UTC in November, so Eastern Time (ET) is five hours behind.

Moment, Friday, Nov. 20	UK time (GMT)	ET	PT
Doors open at the Royal Albert Hall	6 p.m.	1 p.m.	10 a.m.
Guests seated	7 p.m.	2 p.m.	11 a.m.
Show starts	7:30 p.m.	2:30 p.m.	11:30 a.m.
Aftershow party doors, Natural History Museum	10:30 p.m.	5:30 p.m.	2:30 p.m.

The store describes the aftershow doors as opening “immediately following the Royal Variety Performance.” Our November 2026 printable calendar has room to mark the night.

When is the Royal Variety Performance 2026 on ITV?

The 2026 ITV date and time are not yet announced. WhatsOnStage and The Irish News, both on Oct. 27, 2026, say the performance will air on ITV in December.

Last year’s pattern is the only guide. In 2025 the show was held on Wednesday, Nov. 19, and WhatsOnStage’s review of Dec. 20, 2025 said “The event is being broadcast tomorrow on ITV,” which puts the 2025 broadcast on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 21, 32 days after the show. The 2024 air date is not confirmed here. For the rest of the season, see the December 2026 printable calendar.

Who hosts and performs at the Royal Variety Performance 2026?

Jason Manford hosts for the third time, WhatsOnStage and The Irish News report. Both name Andrea Bocelli, James Blunt and Idina Menzel as leading the bill. The Irish News alone also lists Alfie Boe for the national anthem, Jack Savoretti and Vanessa Williams.

Royal Variety Performance 2026 against 2025 and 2024

The Royal Variety Charity’s archive pages give the earlier two shows; both were at the Royal Albert Hall.

Year	Date	Host	Royal guests, per the charity	ITV air date
2024	Friday, Nov. 22	Amanda Holden and Alan Carr	The King	Not confirmed here
2025	Wednesday, Nov. 19	Jason Manford	The Prince and Princess of Wales	Evening of Sunday, Dec. 21
2026	Friday, Nov. 20	Jason Manford, per WhatsOnStage and The Irish News	The King and Queen, per the charity	Not yet announced; December

Are tickets still on sale for the Royal Variety Performance 2026?

No. The charity’s ticket page says tickets have now sold out, and each package in its store, including the show-plus-aftershow package at £310, is marked sold out. Tickets went on sale at 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, the charity said on Feb. 26. The charity states no standalone ticket prices.

US or BritBox availability is not announced. For other British television dates this autumn, see I’m A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing.