Bob Geldof and Imelda May have been announced as part of the line-up for a musical and arts event launched to raise money for Ukraine.
The Night for Ukraine will be held at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London on Wednesday, March 9, with the funds raised being donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal to provide aid to people fleeing Ukraine.
It echoes the famous benefit concert Live Aid, held in 1985 and organised by the Boomtown Rats singer, which aimed to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
Irish singer Geldof, speaking on the new Ukraine concert, said he was keen to get involved with the fundraising event and wanted to do what he could to support the Ukrainian people.
‘At least it stops me feeling so utterly impotent if only for an hour or two,’ he said.
‘You can do the same by simply showing up and enjoying yourself.’
He added: ‘See you there.’
Ukrainian-born pop duo Bloom Twins, who helped organise the event, will also perform, along with The Pretenders star Chrissie Hynde and Ukrainian baritone and principal artist for the Royal Opera House, Yuriy Yurchuk.
Bloom Twins explained that as Ukrainians it had been ‘humbling’ to see the support their country was receiving from the rest of the world.
‘We are really looking forward to being a part of this project, and not just as a one-off performance but as creative collaborators,’ they said.
‘This is an absolute honour to be representing our country and helping people caught up in this devastating conflict.
‘There is so much every one of us can do to make a difference and even though it’s called Night for Ukraine, the impact of it will last much longer than a night. It will belong in our memories forever.’
A host of other artists are set to perform on the night including Irish artist May, Jack Garratt, Eckoes, Peter Xan, Tom Baxter, Joseph Toonga, Nadeem Din Gabisi, Joseph Lawrence and Archive.
The event will also feature the resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor, and a special performance from The London Community Gospel Choir.
Night For Ukraine was organised by Fabien Riggall, the founder of Secret Cinema, in collaboration with the Bloom Twins and Sunflower Relief, alongside Phoenix Court, Roundhouse, Sofar Sounds, Platoon and Lost.
The evening will also feature an address from DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed, who said they were ‘grateful’ to the Night for Ukraine event for its help to fundraise during this ‘critical time’.
He noted that the public reaction to the appeal had been ‘incredibly generous’ so far with £120 million raised in five days.
Saeed added: ‘Our members are working tirelessly with local partners to reach people in Ukraine swiftly as the brutal conflict turns lives upside down.
‘Families, including many children, have been forced to leave everything they know behind to find safety and desperately need food, water and shelter.’
Night for Ukraine is also encouraging other artists, organisers and venues to stage their own night across the nation to support DEC.
The DEC brings together 15 of the UK’s leading aid charities, including British Red Cross, Oxfam UK and Save the Children UK, who are working on the ground in Ukraine and at the country’s borders to help those fleeing the conflict.
Tickets for the Roundhouse event on March 9 are on sale now at www.nightforukraine.org.
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