Part of musical spectacular for Commonwealth Games

Bill Bailey and Fred MacAulay are to take part in a 'spectacular' televised concert from Edinburgh Castle next month.

The gig, also featuring the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Smokey Robinson, Rizzle Kicks, Paloma Faith, Katherine Jenkins, Il Divo and One Republic, is being staged in honour of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Bailey will performing his musical comedy with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra while MacAulay is making what the BBC describes as 'a special guest appearance'.

The July 19 concert will be broadcast on BBC One, presented by The One Show’s Alex Jones.

Launching the concert this morning, MacAulay said: 'This is a really great event to get the party started for the Commonwealth Games, and to get so many great artists on the one stage makes it very special. '

The day after the Edinburgh gig, Bailey travels down to London to play another impressive setting, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, as the culmination of the Kew The Music festival. At that gig he will be supported by Chas & Dave.

Ricky Gervais famously – and somewhat controversially – played a solo show Edinburgh Castle as part of the Fringe in 2007.

The Commonwealth Games runs from July 23 to August 3.

Published: 5 Jun 2014