Music fans are enjoying front row tickets to one of the most star-studded world concerts beaming into homes on Sunday morning from the living rooms of musicians.
The One World: Together at Home livestreamed concert aims to support medical workers and bring people together in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Already on Sunday morning popular artists including Kesha, Jennifer Hudson and The Killers have sang or played instruments from their homes without the usual theatrics and costumes of stage concerts.
The first performer was US singer Andra Day wearing headphones in her apartment who sang her inspirational ballad Rise Up.
She was followed by One Direction star Niall Horan playing Black And White on an acoustic guitar behind the sofa in his living room.
The mostly acoustic acts have been interspersed with stories from workers on the frontline saving lives – and risking their own – as COVID-19 grips nations.
The event encourages wealthy individuals and corporations to contribute to the WHO’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund and had last week raised $35 million.
In Australia the international special will run in two parts:
- A global multi-hour digital livestream on a range of social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter running from 4am to 10am AEST
- A two-hour broadcast from 10am to 12pm AEST on Channel Ten and Channel 7.
The digital stream features artists such as Juanes, John Legend, Luis Fonsi and Sheryl Crow and appearances by other celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The following two-hour broadcast will include performances by Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Bocelli, McCartney, Swift, the Rolling Stones and Chris Martin of Coldplay, among many other artists.
Global health experts, front-line medical workers and world leaders also will participate in the event and urge people to heed lockdown restrictions.
Global Citizen, which has organised the event along with the WHO, said in a statement Thursday on its website that the event is not a fundraiser.
“All we want from you is to support the global fight against coronavirus through taking action to support the Together at Home campaign,” including taking a pledge stating that “As a global citizen, I’m staying home!” according to that international advocacy organisation.
Queen cancels birthday
But as one world party gets underway, another has been cancelled with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth announcing she will not celebrate her 94th birthday in any special way.
The Queen has asked that there be no gun salutes to mark the occasion on April 21 because it would not be appropriate while the country battles a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak in which more than 14,000 people have already died – the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.
Ceremonial gun salutes, in which blank rounds are fired from various location across London, are typically used by the royal family to mark special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays.
It is believed to be the first such request in the Queen’s 68-year reign.
Britain is in its fourth week of a national lockdown, with businesses forced to close and citizens ordered to stay at home.
Earlier this month, the country’s longest-serving monarch made an exceptional address to the nation, promising “Better days will return.”
Buckingham Palace last month said a parade to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday, which is celebrated in June, would not go ahead in its traditional form in light of restrictions on social gatherings.
-with AAP
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