Together for Palestine, a benefit concert on September 17 at London's Wembley Arena, will help raise funds for the people of Gaza, and is set to feature a number of artists and celebrity guests.
Who is performing?
The line-up for Together for Palestine continues to grow, featuring a mix of British and Palestinian artists committed to supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
Confirmed performers include rock band Bastille, Brian Eno, Cat Burns, Celeste, Damon Albarn, Elyanna, El Far3i, Faraj Suleiman, Greentea Peng, Hot Chip, James Blake, Jamie xx, King Krule, Leigh-Anne, Mabel, Nadine Shah, Nai Barghouti, Obongjayar, Paloma Faith, PinkPantheress, Rachel Chinouriri, Rina Sawayama, Riz Ahmed, Saint Levant, Sampha and oud player Adnan Joubran of Le Trio Joubran.
Motaz Malhees, Jameela Jamil, Amer Hlehel, Bilal Hasna, Charithra Chandran and Stephen Kapos have also been added to the line-up.
Meanwhile, special appearances include Amelia Dimoldenberg, Benedict Cumberbatch, Guy Pearce, Louis Theroux, Ramy Youssef and more.
These artists will perform live and via video, contributing to a night of music, reflection and hope. The concert will raise funds for Choose Love, a UK charity supporting Palestinian-led humanitarian organisations. All proceeds from ticket sales are being donated to these efforts.
Who is Brian Eno?
Brian Eno is a famous British composer, producer and visual artist, widely recognised for pioneering ambient music, as well as his work with bands including Roxy Music, U2 and Coldplay. Eno is also an outspoken activist on humanitarian issues, particularly relating to Palestine.
“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,” Eno has said previously.
Last year, Eno and Greek politician Yanis Varoufakis co-wrote an open letter to the International Criminal Court urging immediate action against Israel’s actions in Gaza. He's also long been a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, refusing to perform in Israel and urging others to do so as well.
Eno said he's helping to organise Together for Palestine because silence should no longer be an option. “This evening can become a moment of courage where artists come together to speak the truth in their hearts – which is what we trust artists to do.
“Whether on stage or by video from around the world, this is a chance for us to stand together and say: this can’t continue.”
What is the UK charity Choose Love?
Khaled Ziada, the founder and director of the London Palestine Film Festival, is a co-organiser of the concert. He added: “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 and with all those who suffer injustice.”
Proceeds from Together for Palestine will go to Palestinian partners via Choose Love, a UK charity that supports humanitarian efforts in conflict zones. They focus on providing fast, flexible and transparent humanitarian support to refugees and displaced people around the world.
Founded in 2015 by a group of friends, it now operates across more than 30 countries and has supported more than five million people with emergency aid, medical care, legal advice, education and mental health support through local and community-based partners. Choose Love also operates a shop, where purchases help fund vital support for refugees.
What to expect at Together for Palestine
The show was announced by Eno, who said the event would be a “night of music, reflection and hope” that will raise funds for families in the enclave.
“What we are witnessing in Gaza isn’t a mystery, and neither is it a blur of competing narratives making it 'hard to understand'. When dozens of non-partisan organisations like Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders describe it as genocide, the moral line is clear,” Eno wrote on social media.
Eno's fellow concert organisers include Ziada; British actor and activist Khalid Abdalla of Kite Runner fame; and Victoria & Abdul producer Tracey Seaward.
In a letter addressed to his “artist friends” on Instagram, Eno wrote: “I’ve had the good fortune to work with remarkable artists for over 50 years. But one of my biggest regrets is that so many of us have remained silent about Palestine.
“Often that silence has come from fear – real fear – that speaking out could provoke a backlash, close doors or end a career. But that’s now changing – partly because some artists and activists have lit the path, but mostly because the truth of what’s going on has become impossible to ignore.”
This isn't the first time Eno has spoken out in support of Palestine. Last month, the composer and producer – along with British band Massive Attack – formed a syndicate to protect artists who are protesting against Israel’s attack on Gaza.
The alliance of musicians, which also includes Irish bands Fontaines DC and Kneecap, aims to protect artists – especially emerging names – from being “threatened into silence or career cancellation” by groups such as UK Lawyers for Israel.
How to get tickets for Together for Palestine?
Tickets for the event are now sold out. Fans who missed out may check official resale platforms, but organisers warn that tickets purchased elsewhere may not be valid.
