Hot off the Press
Some of the Britain's top rock and pop stars will perform on Saturday at the UK's biggest charity concert since Live Aid 20 years ago to raise funds for victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. The show at the Millennium Stadium in Wales, which will feature rock legend Eric Clapton (news) and rock band Manic Street Preachers, aims to raise around $1.9 million toward the relief effort.
"This is probably the biggest music event ever staged at the Millennium Stadium, in Cardiff and in Wales," organizer Paul Sergeant told the BBC.
"It's not been difficult because we are supporting a cause the whole nation, the whole world has got behind. This has given the people of Wales an opportunity to give something back."
Organizers said the show, which took only two weeks to plan, had attracted massive interest and would be a sell-out with 61,000 fans due to attend.
The BBC will also be broadcasting the event live on TV, radio and over the Internet.
Welsh classical singer Katherine Jenkins will kick-off the concert, which includes teenage singer Charlotte Church (news), and rock bands Keane and Snow Patrol among the other 21 acts on the bill.
Media reports said it would be the biggest charity show in Britain since stars from around the globe took part in the mammoth trans-Atlantic Live Aid concert which raised more than $110 million for aid in Africa in 1984.
Saturday's concert is one of a series of events planned by celebrities around the world to raise money to help those affected by last month's tsunami disaster which killed up to 225,000 people.
Last week Hollywood actors, including the likes of Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis, joined pop stars such as Madonna (news - web sites) for a special two-hour benefit show which was aired live on U.S. television.
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