"We may have to be apart physically for a little while, but we can still come together virtually to enjoy great music," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director of the W.H.O. "The One World: Together at Home concert represents a powerful show of solidarity against a common threat."
These Celebs Are Coming Together to Perform a Coronavirus Relief Concert... From Their Living Rooms
The World Health Organization and international community Global Citizen have teamed up to host an international coronavirus relief concert, which will raise funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund . The star-studded event will take place on April 18, and is set to be streamed live across multiple TV stations and online platforms.
Celebs to Perform Virtual Pandemic Relief Concert
Pop star Lady Gaga has been tasked with curating the lineup, and has reached out to a range of musicians, athletes and actors who will make appearances throughout the event. Late night TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert will host the concert, which will include performances by Billie Eilish , Elton John , Paul McCartney , Lizzo, Stevie Wonder , Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Alanis Morissette, John Legend , Maluma , Kacey Musgraves, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.
Each of these celebs will be performing remotely, of course, Skyping in to do their sets while staying home and maintaining responsible social distancing. It's a continuation of a trend which has seen a growing number of performers take to Instagram Live to entertain fans with "intimate" sessions filmed in their kitchens, living rooms and home studios.
While previous celeb-led efforts to boost morale during the pandemic have fallen a little flat in terms of actual impact (we're looking at you, Gal Gadot ), the One World: Together at Home event has already raised a huge amount of money. Over the last week, Gaga has raised more than $35 million from private companies all over the world in partnership with Global Citizen, while tech giant Apple has agreed to donate $10 million to the fund (in addition to streaming the concert on its TV service).
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The live concert and huge fundraising efforts have drawn comparisons to Live Aid, the 1985 concert headlined by Queen. However, it is not a telethon: while businesses and philanthropists have been invited to donate, Gaga stated that when it comes to fans, she just wants them to enjoy the show.
One World: Together at Home will stream live from 8pm ET on ABC, Bell Media, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks and iHeartMedia, as well as online platforms Apple, Amazon Prime, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube.
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