Adam Lambert Gushes Over ”Surreal” Opportunity to Open the 2019 Oscars With Queen

“We Will Rock the OSCARS,” Adam Lambert exclaimed ahead of the 2019 Oscars.

Now, the day has come for the 37-year-old star to take the stage with the legendary band Queen at the star-studded ceremony. (Brian May and Roger Taylor are the two active members of the British band.)

Because the Academy Awards lack a host this year, Lambert and the rock legends will open the awards show. Kevin Hart was slated to host the Oscars but stepped down after receiving backlash for past tweets. 

Speaking to E! News’ Live From the Red Carpet host Ryan Seacrest, the American Idol alum says performing at the Oscars is “surreal.”

“I lived in Los Angeles for 17 years and to open the Oscars, I never would have dreamed this is possible,” he shares.

He continues, “Queen and I have been working together for six years and been traveling the world and we’re performing this song in celebration of Bohemian Rhapsody— everybody worked hard and we’re celebrating together.”

Adam has been touring with the legendary band since 2011 and tonight he hopes to do justice to Freddie Mercury‘s hit songs.

While the band isn’t quite the same without the late Mercury, he tells Seacrest that May and Taylor once told him, “‘If Freddy was here with us still, you guys would get a big kick out of each other,’ [which] means a lot to me.”

Along with the Queen performance, Bohemian Rhapsody has received critical acclaim. The biopic, which focuses on the band’s late frontman Freddie Mercury, is nominated for five awards tonight, including the coveted Best Picture category.

Rami Malek, who took home a 2019 Golden Globe for his performance as Mercury, is also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. This marks his first Oscars nomination.

You still have time to make some popcorn and pour yourself a glass of wine, because the show hasn’t started yet. Tune in to the star-studded event on ABC’s live television broadcast, the ABC app or the network’s website.