Sound Relief Australia is holding a benefit concert for the first time since 2009 to benefit those affected by the ongoing bushfires.
The organization released a statement this week that the “Australian Music Community will band together once again under the unified banner of Sound Relief 2020.” While they have not revealed official dates or locations for the 2020 event, it’s believed that the concert will likely return to Sydney and Melbourne, taking place late February or early March.
Originally, Sound Relief Australia held a concert in 2009 which brought in over 120,000 people and raised $8 million. Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Kings of Leon took the stage, along with Hunters & Collectors, Split Enz, Jet, Wolfmother, and Paul Kelly.
Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment, which helped organize the 2009 edition of the festival, told DigitalMusicNews that the concert was created to raise money for hundreds of thousands of people “whose lives have been shattered by some pretty horrendous situations.”
“We don’t come together to do these things very often,” Chugg said. “This really galvanized everyone to work together. With an industry that’s so competitive and sometimes so divisive, to get everyone together to work under the one roof and pull something like this off is pretty special.”
Since September, bushfires have raged across the country, burning more than 15 million acres, killing at least 28 humans, and causing the death of over one billion animals. A handful of concerts have been cancelled due to the devastation, including a Cold Chisel gig, Sydney Festival’s Opening Night, and the Falls Festival. Many artists are offering what they can to help with the fire relief; Pink donated half a million dollars for local fire services and Elton John pledged one million dollars for recovery efforts.
