Billie Eilish and Green Day kicked off the FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles on Thursday night – a two-venue, five-hour extravaganza raising money for wildfire relief efforts.
Actor Billy Crystal welcomed the crowd at the Kia Forum, wearing the clothes he had on when he escaped the Pacific Palisades fire earlier this month. He had lived in the area for 46 years and spoke poignantly about losing his home.
Acts including Joni Mitchell, Pink, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks have all performed so far, with the concert set to end after 8am UK time.
The benefit concert also saw the recently-reunited No Doubt – from nearby Orange County – perform hists including I’m Just A Girl and Don’t Speak.
Dr Dre made a surprise appearance alongside Anderson Paak and Sheila E, and covered Still DRE and the classic California Love.
Other big names set to hit the stage include Stevie Wonder, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Olivia Rodrigo.
Behind the performers, images of firefighters and the devastation wrought by the fires appeared on screen. Survivors also spoke about losing their homes and escaping the fires in between sets.
Former US vice president Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are among those attending the Intuit Dome concert.
Mr Emhoff shared a picture of himself and his wife inside the Intuit Dome on Instagram, alongside the caption: “Kamala and I are grateful to be at the FireAid concert tonight in our hometown of Los Angeles.
“It is a wonderful night that shows the strength and resilience of our city as we begin to recover and rebuild from the devastating wildfires.”
Audiences at home can donate online. Early in the concert, Crystal revealed that the band U2 contributed $1m (£804,829).
The owner of the basketball team the Los Angeles Clippers, Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie, will match all donations made during the concert.
All proceeds will go to those affected by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier in the month.
Some 29 people died in the fires, with thousands more homes and businesses destroyed.
Source : Sky News
