Rod Stewart, Sting, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga to perform concert for LA fires
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Los Angeles Correspondent
British stars Sir Rod Stewart and Sting were among the singers slated to perform at a charity concert to aid the wildfire relief efforts in California, alongside US stars Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Pink and Katy Perry.
The “one night only” event, dubbed FireAid, will take place at the Intuit Dome and the adjacent Kia Forum in Los Angeles on January 30th, as well as being broadcast and streamed live.
The line-up also features Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks and 10-time Grammy winner Joni Mitchell, alongside Gwen Stefani, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Jelly Roll, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lil Baby, Stephen Stills and Tate McRae.
Two-time Oscar-winning musician Eilish will perform with her brother Finneas O’Connell, while the concert will also mark the first time Dave Matthews and John Mayer will perform live together.
Sir Rod, who returned from his home in Los Angeles to the UK permanently after three decades in 2023, will also perform after celebrating his 80th birthday earlier this month.
The concert will “raise money for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California”, organisers said.
It will be broadcast and live-streamed on many platforms, including Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Netflix, Paramount+ and Prime Video.
Tickets for both concerts will go on sale from Wednesday on Ticketmaster and more artists will be announced at a later date, organisers added.
The announcement comes after pop superstar Taylor Swift described the wildfires as “heartbreaking to see”.
The 35-year-old made the comments as she posted a list of organisations she has donated to, including the California Community Foundation Fund, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and Los Angeles Regional Foodbank.
“The fires in California have devastated so many families and it has been heartbreaking to see these stories unfold,” the singer wrote on her Instagram story.
“So much suffering, loss and destruction, as many people embark on some of the most challenging times of their lives.
“There are also many amazing organisations and groups banding together to help these communities rebuild.”
Swift previously made donations to hurricane relief efforts in Florida last October, pledging five million dollars to help victims “rebuild and recover”.
It came after she previously made a “generous donation” to 1,400 food banks across the UK and community organisations in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London – the cities she performed in during her record-breaking Eras Tour last summer.
Other stars who have donated to the relief efforts in LA included Oscar-winning actors Leonardo Di Caprio and Jamie Lee Curtis, who both pledged one million dollars, alongside Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria.
US superstar Beyonce also confirmed her BeyGood foundation donated 2.5 million dollars to the relief efforts, after postponing an announcement which fans speculate will be a tour or a new album.
Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation also stepped up, offering a 500,000 dollar donation to relief efforts as “the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods”, the rock band said on Instagram.
While US socialite Paris Hilton raised 800,000 dollars in 72 hours for displaced families through her charity 11:11 Media Impact, and pledged 150,000 dollars to GoFundMe’s Wildfire Relief Fund.
A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)
She later announced her partner, the Hilton hotel chain, was offering 20,000 rooms to displaced families for free.
The US star also fostered a three-year-old chihuahua “whose family unfortunately had to surrender her after their home was destroyed in the wildfires”, she wrote on Instagram.
It came after the reality star watched her Malibu home “burn to the ground on live TV”.
Other stars who lost their homes to the fires included Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg.
The wildfire destruction has halted many events, with the Oscars nominations announcement delayed for a second time, with a new date of January 23rd confirmed.
US author Stephen King, best known for his horror novels including It, led stars boycotting the annual awards ceremony in the wake of the wildfires.
“Not voting in the Oscars this year,” he wrote on social media platform Bluesky.
“IMHO (in my humble opinion) they should cancel them.
“No glitz with Los Angeles on fire.”