It’s a news story that has seemed inevitable for some time. The human tragedy that is Gaza in 2025 is set to have its own mini-Live Aid with an announcement by Brian Eno that a benefit concert will take place in September.
It’s due to take place at Wembley Arena on Wednesday 17 September. Eno announced the event - Together For Palestine - on his social media pages today (July 31).
He, together with Khaled Ziada, Khalid Abdalla and Tracey Seaward will be the evening’s executive producers for an evening of performances from “artists, musicians and people for whom silence feels impossible.”
Eno said in a statement: “I’ve had the good fortune to work with some of the world’s most remarkable artists for over 50 years. But one of my biggest regrets is that during that time 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.”
“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.”
The 77 year-old artist and activist confirmed that 'every penny' will go to Palestinian partners, through Choose Love, a UK charity supporting local humanitarian groups in conflict zones.
But Eno also pointed out that the gig is about more than just fundraising, it’s about “sending a message of love and solidarity to the people of Palestine - that they haven’t been forgotten.”
“We see them, we hear them, and though we may be far away, we’re deeply connected, as we are to all humanity.”
A long term supporter of Palestinian freedom, earlier this month Eno was one of the musicians who joined Massive Attack’s alliance of groups that are speaking out about Gaza against what he called 'intimidations' from within the music industry.
Expect tickets for the Together For Palestine concert to go quickly. Gaza is fast becoming a touchstone issue within the music industry, in the same way that Vietnam was to the artists of the late 60s and opposition to the South African apartheid regime was during the 1980s.
Details about who will be performing on September 17 will be revealed at a later date. Tickets go on sale on the morning of Monday 4 August. For more information click here.
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