mxdwn.co.uk » Choose Love https://www.mxdwn.co.uk all that matters in music in the UK Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:12:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1 Together for Palestine Concert Unites UK & Palestinian Artists at Wembley https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/together-for-palestine-concert-unites-uk-palestinian-artists-at-wembley/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/together-for-palestine-concert-unites-uk-palestinian-artists-at-wembley/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:00:14 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=113250 A sold-out OVO Arena Wembley became the stage for ‘Together for Palestine‘ on September 17, a one-night benefit concert that combined British and Palestinian performers in support of humanitarian work in Gaza. The show was initiated by musician and producer Brian Eno, working with Khaled Ziada and Tracey Seaward, with proceeds going towards charity ‘Choose Love’ and its local partners.

Eno, who has long balanced creative projects with social initiatives, helmed the event from its earliest planning. He helped pull together an unusually broad bill, invited designer Es Devlin and Palestinian painter Malak Mattar to develop the stage aesthetic, and worked closely with ‘Choose Love’’ to keep the focus on relief efforts rather than celebrity spectacle.

 

The line-up showcased  established UK names – Damon Albarn, Bastille, PinkPantheress, James Blake, Jamie xx, King Krule, Paloma Faith, Sampha, Greentea Peng – and Palestinian artists including Adnan Joubran, Faraj Suleiman, and Nai Barghouti. Mattar’s work and other Palestinian imagery were celebrated in Devlin’s set, giving the arena a shifting backdrop of traditional imagery, resilience, and displacement.
Tickets, livestream donations, and a run of limited merchandise sold out instantly, helping to push the night’s fundraising total to an estimated £1.5 million for humanitarian aid. Doors opened just after 6.30pm, and the programme alternated between music, poetry, and short addresses from Palestinian speakers. Readings from Mahmoud Darwish sat alongside contemporary stories, giving the evening a purposeful balance between art and testimony.
For Eno, the concert aligns with a career that often merges experimental music with public causes, from ambient installations to campaigns for human rights and climate awareness. “This was about finding a way for art to meet empathy,” he said in a short statement after the show.
Production was understated but precise in delivery: Devlin’s moving set pieces and Mattar’s canvases framed the performers, while lighting shifted between warm tones and stark monochrome to match the flow of performances and speeches.
By the close, Together for Palestine had eclipsed its fundraiser status. It stood as a cultural moment inside the UK’s live-music schedules, positioning Wembley as a gathering place where musicians and audiences directly engage with wider issues while still celebrating the art of performance itself.
]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/together-for-palestine-concert-unites-uk-palestinian-artists-at-wembley/feed/ 0 Biig Piig Announces Gaza Fundraiser Gig With Choose Love https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/biig-piig-announces-gaza-fundraiser-gig-with-choose-love/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/biig-piig-announces-gaza-fundraiser-gig-with-choose-love/#comments Sun, 21 Jan 2024 14:40:50 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=98894 Singer and rapper Biig Piig has announced a Gaza Aid fundraiser concert in collaboration with UK charity Choose Love. The show will take place on Sunday February 4th at the 700-capacity Village Underground in Shoreditch, East London.

The Irish, West London-based artist, (real name Jessica Smyth), took to socials this week to unveil the benefit gig, stating: “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of the most horrific I’ve seen in my lifetime. There have been so many lives destroyed and dreams taken from innocent people. I wanted to hold an event to raise money to support the people that have been affected and to spread awareness to what’s happening in real time.”

The Cork native gave thanks to her friends and artists participating in the night of music; a stellar lineup of acoustic performances and DJ sets from the likes of Kojaque, Maverick Sabre, Lava La Rue, Mac Wetha, Jelani Blackman, and Yunè Pinku. She went on to also thank the venue for hosting and Choose Love for their extended humanitarian efforts around the world.

In 2016, Choose Love, formerly known as Help Refugees, became the largest grassroots organisation and distributor of aid in Europe, and has gone on to support refugees and displaced people across the globe for nearly a decade.

Emma Stevenson, Deputy CEO of Choose Love, commented: “We’re so grateful to Biig Piig choosing love and helping us get essential aid to the 2+million people trapped inside Gaza. It’s unbearable to witness the devastation and suffering of so many people. But by Choosing Love there is always something we can do when we come together. Biig Piig and everyone who attends the event on February 4th will be making a huge difference.”

The singer confirmed that 100% of all profits raised from ticket sales and merchandise will go towards the non-governmental organisation and will directly support emergency response work in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Since the conflict reached its boiling point in October 2023, other artists across the industry have banded together to express their concern, most recently with Dua Lipa calling for a ceasefire and urging for world leaders to take a stand.

Tickets for the sold out show are still available here at £25, with an opportunity to join a waiting list. Doors are expected to open at 6:30pm, with the event starting at 7pm, plus appearances from special surprise guests.

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