Promoters have abruptly canceled Sound Relief 2020, a concert fundraiser aimed at contributing to Australian bushfire relief efforts.
The benefit series, which was slated to take place over two weekends in March, became a joint effort from promoters like IMC, Chugg Entertainment, Secret Sounds, Frontier Touring and Live Nation. However, organizers will no longer see the project through.
“Since announcing our intention to undertake Sound Relief 2020 the offer of assistance from International and Domestic artists, industry, media and suppliers has been second to none,” organizers wrote in a statement. “However Sound Relief is a series of concert events that we don’t wish to stage lightly and after careful consideration, we believe proceeding with the concerts in March won’t produce the impactful result that we believe these events can – and should – have.”
“It is clear that there is no overnight fix for the issues our beautiful country is currently facing, and our discussions for any future event are subsequently shifting to restoration, recovery and prevention and a view to maximising results to best benefit these areas,” the message concluded.
Sound Relief’s first installment came in 2009 after Aussie bushfires swept through Victoria and flooding devastated the Queensland region. The wildly successful series drew performances from Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and Kings of Leon, among others. It raised $8 million.
The now-scrapped 2020 edition never officially released a lineup nor saw tickets head on sale. However, it was estimated to raise nearly $34 million on account of total ticket tallies and appearances by rumored performers Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Pink.
Another bushfire relief concert, TEG Live’s Fire Fight Australia, will go on as planned next month at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium. The benefit’s all-star billing features Aussie pop-punk band 5 Seconds of Summer, Alice Cooper, Queen & Adam Lambert, Michael Buble, Olivia Newton-John and many more.
