Queen tribute acts in the UK: the complete guide

No band is better served by tribute acts than Queen, and none is harder to pull off. Tribify currently lists 14 Queen tributes, more than for any other artist we list.

The Stars in Their Eyes winner: One Night of Queen

One Night of Queen is led by Gary Mullen, who won ITV's Stars in Their Eyes in 2000 as Freddie Mercury with a record-breaking public vote. He launched the show with his band, The Works, in 2001, and has since taken it on tours across the UK, Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and the US.

Why Freddie is the hardest job in tribute

Most tribute frontmen need to sound right. A Freddie needs to sound right across a huge vocal range, play the piano, and hold an arena-sized room with nothing but swagger. Add Brian May's guitar tone and those stacked four-part harmonies, and a Queen tribute asks more of every member of the band than most.

That's why the gap between the best and the rest is wider here than anywhere else.

What to look for

• The voice in the big moments. "Somebody to Love" and the opera section of "Bohemian Rhapsody" show who can really sing.
• Brian May's guitar. The tone of a homemade guitar through a wall of amps is hard to copy. Good tribute guitarists get very close.
• Harmonies. Queen's backing vocals are half the sound. Listen for them in "We Are the Champions".
• The Live Aid moment. Many shows recreate Queen's 1985 Live Aid set at Wembley. If that's what you're after, check the act's page.

Been to one? Rate it

Fans' ratings decide our scores, and nothing else does. If you've seen any of these acts, rate the show.