DJ-producer David Guetta will headline a benefit concert in New York City this weekend to raise funds for health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The event, dubbed United At Home, will take place in the city at an undisclosed location, giving fans a taste of his music while honoring those on the frontlines. This is his second benefit performance; earlier this month, he performed for 90 minutes in downtown Miami to 8,000 locals dancing from their balconies. Guetta told the Associated Press that the idea was sparked he noticed a lot of DJs doing performances from their bedroom, which led to his show “in the middle of towers.”
Guetta said that connecting with fans is “essential.”
“That was the idea behind the show,” he said. “I’m going to do it in a different way in New York City, but we were also interacting with people on Zoom. I thought that was so cool. I could see kids dancing at home. I could see everybody having their own little parties. I could interact with them. Some people would write messages to me and I would answer them. Like, this is really cool! It feels more real. We’re entertainers, this is what we do.”
He went on to note that this is different than just playing on a keyboard at home, as he’s “performing for the people” and “it’s amaing to receive energy back.”
During the first event in Miami, Guetta was able to help raise $750,000 from viewers and contributed $300,000 himself. The New York City event will air live this Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. EDT, just in time for Manhattan’s ritual clapping and cheering to honor essential workers. Fans can tune in on Guetta’s social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and can choose to donate to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, Feeding America, The World Health Organization, or Foundation Hopitaux de Paris-Hopitaux de France.
