‘Together for Palestine’ concert: Dozens of celebrities take stage in London for fundraiser | CNN

Dozens of musicians, actors, activists and speakers took to the stage at London’s biggest stadium on Wednesday to raise money for Palestinians at a fundraising concert for the war in Gaza.

The event, “Together for Palestine,” brought a star-studded lineup to Wembley Arena and included performances from Bastille, James Blake, Paloma Faith, Jamie xx, and PinkPantheress, as well as Palestinian artists such as Sama’ Abdulhadi, Saint Levant and Elyanna.

Actors such as Florence Pugh, Nicola Coughlan, and Benedict Cumberbatch, and other notable figures such as broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, footballer Eric Cantona, and Francesca Albanese, the UN special envoy for Palestine, also spoke at the event.

The fundraiser was organized by British artist Brian Eno, who also performed. In an article he penned in the Guardian ahead of the event, Eno said he and others had been working for a year to make it happen.

“Even finding a venue proved challenging: the mere mention of the word “Palestine” was a near-certain precursor to refusal,” Eno wrote. “But at some point in the past few months, something changed. Wembley signed a contract, YouTube finally consented to streaming the event, and – most importantly – artists agreed to appear.”

Palestinian artist Malak Mattar helped design the set alongside famed stage designer Es Devlin. The set featured the work of eight Palestinian artists who have been killed by Israel, according to Vogue.

The benefit comes as global outrage mounts over Israel’s war on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. On Tuesday, an independent United Nations inquiry concluded for the first time that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, adding to a growing chorus of experts who have accused Israel of committing genocide. The Israeli government has firmly rejected accusations of genocide.

On Tuesday, Israel announced it was beginning a ground incursion in Gaza City, defying international condemnation and warnings the assault will worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis, with parts of Gaza officially declared under famine.

The ticket proceeds for Wednesday night’s sold-out event went to Palestinian organizations through Choose Love, a UK charity supporting humanitarian workers in conflict zones. Among the groups it is fundraising for are the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), Palestinian Medical Relief Society, and Taawon, which runs orphan care programs in Gaza.

By 10 p.m. local time, the actress and activist Jameela Jamil announced the show had raised £1.5 million ($2 million), according to the Guardian.

Paloma Faith performed wearing a dress made from a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern scarf and symbol of Palestinian identity. Eno read the poem “Oh rascal children of Gaza” by Palestinian writer Khaled Juma.

Several of the speakers criticized other celebrities for staying silent about the ongoing suffering of Palestinians.

“Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality. It is complicity. And empathy should not be this hard and it should have never been this hard,” said actor Florence Pugh, according to videos posted online.

“There are many artists that I love, and that I know you love, that have hundreds of millions of followers, and they’re saying nothing in this moment,” said actor Nicola Coughlan.

Ahead of the benefit concert, dozens of celebrities including Grammy-winning artist Billie Eilish, the Oscar-winning star of “Oppenheimer” Cillian Murphy, and award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix participated in a video calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We have to tell the truth on behalf of the people of Palestine,” Scottish actor Brian Cox said in the video.

American photographer and activist Nan Goldin said, “It’s been the artist’s role in society to speak out, to risk speaking truth to power.”

Steve Coogan, English actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian also appears in the video.

“It’s important to speak out now, not when this is over, right now, while it’s happening, pressurize your government. Lend your support to those who are peacefully campaigning for Palestine. Call for a ceasefire, stop the killing,” Coogan said.

Wednesday’s benefit concert comes just days after celebrities showed their support for Gaza at the Emmy Awards. Emmy nominee Javier Bardem took to the red carpet wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, to denounce what he said was “the genocide in Gaza.” Hannah Einbinder, who won an Emmy for her role in the TV series “Hacks,” called for a “Free Palestine” on stage.

Hundreds of artists have joined Artists4Ceasefire, a campaign that in late October 2023 published a letter urging the US Congress and then-President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire.

At the Oscars last year, Eilish and her brother and musician Finneas were among celebrities who took to the red carpet in matching red Artists4Ceasefire lapel pins calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all of the hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.