Over $2m raised for Palestinians at London charity concert
Over $2 Million Raised for Palestinians at London Charity Concert
London just saw one of its biggest charity gigs in years, and it wasn’t about the usual headline-grabbing causes. On Wednesday night, the Together for Palestine concert at Wembley’s OVO Arena raised more than $2m million for humanitarian aid in Gaza. The whole thing sold out quickly, and by the end of the night, donations and ticket sales pushed the total past £1.5 million. That money is going to Choose Love, a UK-based charity that works with groups on the ground in Gaza to provide basics like food, medicine, and shelter.
The lineup was stacked. Bastille, Damon Albarn, Cat Burns, Hot Chip, James Blake, Jamie xx, and others all took the stage. Palestinian musicians like Adnan Joubran, Faraj Suleiman, and Nai Barghouti were right at the heart of the night, which mattered. One of the organizers, the Gaza-born artist Malak Mattar, made sure Palestinian voices weren’t just included but leading the way. Brian Eno helped pull the whole thing together, but he stepped back from being the “face” of it, which seemed intentional to avoid making it feel like yet another Western-led benefit.
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The atmosphere was heavy but hopeful. People weren’t just there for a concert; they came to hear stories, poetry, and artwork that put the crisis into perspective. From what’s been reported, the mood inside was emotional without being chaotic people were clearly there out of solidarity, not spectacle.
Of course, politics around events like this can get messy. There were debates in the lead-up, especially about whether high-profile British artists should get involved in something so polarizing. But the focus stayed on humanitarian needs rather than party politics, which probably helped keep the night from being swallowed up by controversy.
What stood out most is that the concert didn’t just stop at music. It was closer to a cultural statement: art, activism, and solidarity all woven together. Some people have even compared it to the protest concerts of the 80s, the kind that rallied public opinion during the anti-apartheid movement. That’s a big comparison, but it shows how much weight people felt in the room.
At the end of the day, raising $2 million in a single night is no small feat. Whether you agree with every message on stage or not, the money raised is going to help people in dire need. And for the thousands packed into Wembley, and the many more watching online, it was a reminder that music can still carry real-world impact when the stakes are high.
