London’s OVO Arena Wembley became the stage for one of the largest cultural fundraisers for Palestine to date, as 12,500 people gathered on Wednesday night for the Together for Palestine concert. The four-hour event combined music, spoken word, and activism, raising over £1.5 million for Palestinian relief efforts.
Curated by British musician Brian Eno and artistically directed by exiled Palestinian painter Malak Mattar, the show brought together a remarkable mix of stars. Performances came from Damon Albarn, Bastille, Jamie xx, Hot Chip, Paloma Faith, James Blake, PinkPantheress, and Gorillaz, while Palestinian musicians including Saint Levant, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Nai Barghouti, Adnan Joubran and pianist Faraj Suleiman brought the evening’s most powerful moments.
Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Florence Pugh, Nicola Coughlan, Ruth Negga, and Guy Pearce joined writers, journalists, and activists to deliver speeches, poems, and calls for action. Cumberbatch read the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish alongside playwright Amer Hlehel, while Pugh urged her peers to break their silence: “Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality. It is complicity.” Coughlan echoed the criticism of global celebrities who have avoided speaking about Gaza.
The night also featured fiery interventions from Palestinian speakers. Journalist Yara Eid received huge cheers as she honoured more than 270 Palestinian reporters killed since October 2023. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah called for tribute to Gaza’s medical workers, and UN envoy Francesca Albanese declared, “Palestine will be free and we will all be free.”
While stars like Richard Gere, Eric Cantona, and Jameela Jamil added their voices, it was Palestinian artistry that anchored the evening. The London Arab Orchestra and Juzour Dance Collective closed the show with a stirring performance of protest anthems, including Dammi Falastini, joined by Albarn and Gorillaz.
Merchandise designed by fashion figures, including Bella Freud and Priya Ahluwalia, alongside keffiyehs and posters, added further funds to ticket sales. Organisers said the total could rise significantly as online donations continue. Proceeds are being distributed through UK charity Choose Love to groups such as the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Taawon, and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society.
The concert took place amid escalating violence in Gaza, where over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed according to the health ministry, and just a day after a United Nations inquiry concluded Israel is committing genocide.
For many, the event recalled the great benefit concerts of the 1980s. Yet on Wednesday, it was the voices of Palestinians themselves on stage and in song that drew the loudest applause.