King Charles’ coronation: Where in Wellington to celebrate the great occasion

King Charles III will become the 40th monarch to be crowned inside Westminster Abbey. Photo / AP

On May 6 in London, King Charles III will become the 40th monarch to be crowned inside Westminster Abbey.

It’s a momentous day and marks the dawn of a new era of the monarchy after the death of Queen Elizabeth II – the longest-reigning monarch in British history

For those on this side of the world there are multiple ways to celebrate and commemorate the occasion including screenings of the event, a high tea and musical performances – as well as some special drink deals for people who want to spend their weekend slightly more casually.

Mayor Tory Whanau will mark the coronation of King Charles III by planting a totora in the Botanic Gardens and unveiling a commemorative plaque.

The Coronation will begin at 11am UK time on 6 May, but in Wellington the first event will be the Coronation Concert Organ recital with Colin Andrews.

The concert will begin at 12.45pm on Friday, May 5 at St Paul’s Cathedral in central Wellington. Tickets are $20, and the concert marks the beginning of the festivities that the cathedral is holding over the weekend.

Andrews has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, and Westminster Abbey and the recital promises an array of classical musical pieces which will showcase his extraordinary talent.

Following on from this, the cathedral will host a special collaboration between the Cathedral Choir, Vic Voices and a brass ensemble for a performance of some of the coronation choral favourites.

Entry is by koha (donation) and the event will kick off at 6pm on Saturday. The choir will perform iconic pieces of music and hymns which have been performed for centuries, such as The Old Hundreth and Zadok the Priest.

Following the choir, the cathedral will offer a televised screening of the coronation beginning at 10pm on Saturday.

For people who want a slightly less formal celebration, Vinyl Bar on Courtenay Place is offering a more relaxed affair.

The bar is hosting a party for the coronation and offering two for $30 deals on teapot cocktails.

They’ll also be playing “all the Britpop classics, all night”, the event page says.

On Sunday at noon there will be a 21-gun salute from Pt Jerningham and in accordance with naval tradition, another gun salute will also be fired at the same time from the Devonport Naval Base.

The Herald will be running minute-by-minute updates live on nzherald.co.nz as our Lifestyle and Entertainment editor Jenni Mortimer reports live from London.