Irish musician Bob Geldof on Tuesday outlined plans to stage a follow-up spectacular 20 years after the 1985 Live Aid concert, in order to draw world attention to global poverty and debt.
The event, called Live 8, will be held in London’s Hyde Park on July 2, with other concerts being staged in Philadelphia, Paris, Rome and Berlin — all shown live on BBC television and radio.
”We want it to be the biggest and best open-air concert that the capital has ever seen,” British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said.
The aim of the concert will be to raise awareness of Make Poverty History, a campaign to get the richest nations to cancel debt and increase aid to developing countries at a time when a Group of Eight summit of the world’s richest nations plus Russia is held from July 6 to 8 in Scotland.
”This is a chance for those leaders to get together and say, ‘We can actually make a difference this time,”’ concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith told BBC Radio.
Acts said to be interested in playing include U2, the Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Madonna, Sting and Robbie Williams.
Geldof (50) was the architect of the original Live Aid concerts held in 1985, which raised more than $72-million for famine relief in Africa. The former singer with Irish punk band the Boomtown Rats was later knighted by Buckingham Palace for his charity efforts.
”Sir Bob” had for years rejected suggestions of a ”sequel” concert and is reported to have only agreed to Live 8 in recent weeks, following behind-the-scenes pressure from others, including U2 frontman and fellow lobbyist Bono.
Rumours that 1990s British girl band the Spice Girls are to reform for the event remain unsubstantiated. British tabloid The Sun claimed on Tuesday the five-piece have been ”axed” from the concert, but organisers said no decision has been made. — Sapa-DPA