Rydal Penrhos is delighted to share that a former pupil will perform at the official opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

The Vivienne is the alter ego of former pupil James Lee Williams, who attended Rydal Penrhos from 2003-08 and first rose to fame by winning the inaugural series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.

Earlier this year, the former Rydal Penrhos pupil made television history on route to a third-place finish in the fifteenth season of Dancing on Ice.

Performing alongside Colin Grafton, The Vivienne produced some sensational performances to well-known tunes such as ‘Dark Horse’ by Katy Perry and ‘Strong Enough’ by Cher. To underline some impressive displays, the Rydal Penrhos alumnus had the distinction of producing the series’ first perfect score.

In the latest exciting development of what is turning out to be a memorable year for the member of our Class of 2008, The Vivienne will perform at the opening ceremony of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

So proud to announce I’ll be performing at the official opening ceremony for Eurovision in front of 30,000 people! 😱 #Eurovision2023 pic.twitter.com/oOw7Jw1miU

— TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) April 26, 2023

The annual musical showcase has been relocated to Liverpool due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This highly anticipated event will feature top performers from various European countries, including the return of 2012 winner Loreen.

A crowd of over 30,000 people will gather when the contest’s opening ceremony takes place on Sunday 7 May at St George’s Hall. The event will be hosted by television presenter AJ Odudu and comedian Joel Dommett, who will welcome several household names to proceedings; including, of course, The Vivienne.

Our former pupils at Rydal Penrhos continually make us proud. Whether it is in academia, business, the arts, or any other field, their accomplishments are considerable and they bring a wealth of knowledge, kindness, and positivity to those around them. James (The Vivienne) is a perfect example of this.

The entire Rydal Penrhos community sends its well-wishes ahead of this wonderful occasion. We will be sure to tune in on Sunday 7 May!

Photo by Rankin Images