Sir Cliff Richard on the bill for BBC Radio 2’s 2018 In Concert series

Sir Cliff Richard, Ed Sheeran and Paul Weller are among the stars taking part in this year’s Radio 2 In Concert series, it has been announced.

Other artists on the bill for the November shows include Boy George and Culture Club and Emeli Sande.

The full line-up for the series of intimate performances was announced by Jo Whiley and Simon Mayo on Radio 2 on Wednesday.

Sir Cliff, who will perform on November 29, said: “With my first album of entirely new material in 14 years due to be released in November, I can’t wait to play some of the new tracks and, of course, will also include classic favourites for fans later this year.”

Sheeran’s show takes place on November 15, after he finishes his US tour, and he said it would be “really good” to be home.

The singer-songwriter said he was “not sure” whether he would play any new material at the concert.

“I think the best thing to do at those sort of gigs is to play the songs people want to hear,” he said.

“That’s the kind of key thing as an entertainer, to entertain people, so I think I‘m just going to play songs that people like.”

Jeff Smith, head of music, BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music, said: “2018 has been a bumper year of live music for Radio 2 and I believe we will continue that with our stellar line-up for In Concert, featuring some of the world’s best-loved musicians.

“The universal appeal of Ed’s music makes him perfect for Radio 2 In Concert.

“Boy George is an iconic artist who, with Culture Club, enjoyed global success and I know that our audience will be excited to listen and watch them perform live.

“Emeli has become a firm favourite with Radio 2 listeners and entertained thousands of fans in Perth earlier this year.

“Cliff has been entertaining audiences for decades, and I’m delighted that this year, he is able to make his Radio 2 In Concert debut.”

The performances will be broadcast live from the BBC Radio Theatre on BBC Radio 2 as well as in vision via the BBC Red Button, to be produced by BBC Studios. All performances will be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days after transmission. The concerts will also be broadcast on either BBC Two or BBC Four later in the month.

People can apply for tickets online at bbc.co.uk/radio2. Applications open at 8pm on September 19 and close at 8pm on October 1. Tickets are free, and successful applicants will be selected at random.