The lineup for one of the largest ever benefit concerts to take place in the UK has been announced; on 17th September, Together for Palestine - a benefit concert for Palestine - is taking place at London’s Wembley Arena, aiming to deliver “a message of love and solidarity to the people of Palestine”.
Brian Eno is heading up the Together for Palestine gig, which will bring together both British and Palestinian artists for an evening of music at Wembley’s iconic arena in partnership with British charity Choose Love, to support 23 organisations across Gaza to deliver food, medical supplies, and other support.
The 12,500 capacity venue will host Palestinian musicians Adnan Joubran, Faraj Suleiman and Nai Barghouti, who are set to perform alongside Eno. Joining them will be some of Britain’s top artists, including Damon Albarn, Bastille, Cat Burns, Jamie XX, Rachel Chinouriri, Paloma Faith, Mabel, Obongjayar, and more. There will also be one-off contributions from Rina Sawayama, PinkPantheress, and Riz Ahmed.
26-year-old Chinouriri, the brains and vocals behind recent hit All I Ever Asked, spoke about the event, calling on fellow musicians to “join me in building a bridge to victims in Gaza and beyond. We must break through the privilege of our bubble and speak with truth and justice”.
Eno has also spoken about the event, saying that: “In the face of the horrors of Gaza, silence becomes complicity. Artists have always helped societies to point out injustice and imagine better futures. That’s why this concert matters. It’s time for us to come together – not just to raise our voices, but to reaffirm our shared humanity.”
The stage at Wembley Arena is set to transform to "express the rich beauty of Palestinian culture,” according to Malak Mattar, who is collaborating with production designer Es Devlin. Devlin is an Olivier and Tony award-winning stage designer who has also been responsible for shows for some pretty mega stars, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, U2, and The Weekend.
Khaled Ziada - founder and director of the London Palestine film festival is producing the event alongside Eno and Tracey Seaward - whose name might be familiar from the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony. Ziada has also talked about the upcoming show, saying: “In a world where governments and mainstream media have fallen silent in the face of genocide, this gathering becomes a chorus of resistance – where artists and communities come together to grieve, to rage and to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people.”
Eno is a longstanding activist, speaking out about the cultural boycott of Israel in 2017, criticising the "grotesque" silencing of millions of people.
Tickets for the gig are available now via Ticketmaster and are selling for £61.20 each. 100% of the price (excluding the additional fees) will go to Choose Love and Palestinian-led organisations providing humanitarian relief.
It's the second such show set to take place in London to raise awareness of the conflict in Palestine. On October 16th, East London's Troxy venue will play host to the 'Gig for Gaza', featuring stars including Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Inhaler and more. Tickets for that show can be picked up here.
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