Live 8 concerts around the world to "End Poverty Now"
{{date|July 2, 2005}}
[[Image:Live8 rome1.jpg|thumb|250px|The Live 8 Concert in [[w:Rome|Rome]], [[Italy]]]]
Massive music concerts took place around the planet under the [[w:Live 8|Live 8]] banner in an effort to put pressure on the leaders of the eight richest countries in the world to end global poverty.

All concerts were timed to take place between noon and 10pm local time, with over a million people expected to attend concerts in [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]], [[w:Japan|Japan]], the [[United States|US]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]] and [[Russia]]. The events were broadcast to a potential audience of five and a half billion people world-wide.

The largest concert was in the US in [[w:Philadelphia|Philadelphia]] where, over the course of 7 hours, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to watch [[w:Stevie Wonder|Stevie Wonder]], [[w:Kanye West|Kanye West]], [[w:Destiny's Child|Destiny's Child]], [[w:Dave Matthews Band|Dave Matthews Band]], and [[w:Black Eyed Peas|Black Eyed Peas]] among others. Philadelphia native [[w:Will Smith|Will Smith]] both performed and was the opening presenter.  Peak attendance, the maximum amount of people believed to be watching Live 8 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at a given time, is estimated to have been between 600,000 and 800,000.

In [[w:Hyde Park|Hyde Park]] in [[w:London|London]], 205,000 people watched acts including [[w:Elton John|Elton John]], [[w:Madonna|Madonna]], [[w:Coldplay|Coldplay]], [[w:Robbie Williams|Robbie Williams]] and [[w:Pink Floyd|Pink Floyd]]. The concert was opened by [[w:Sir Paul McCartney|Sir Paul McCartney]] and [[w:U2|U2]] playing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the first time the song has ever been performed live by a [[w:The Beatles|Beatle]]. It ended at 11.58pm with all of the acts coming on stage to sing one last time.
[[Image:Live8.jpg|right|150px]]
[[Bill Gates]] - founder of [[w:Microsoft|Microsoft]] and the richest man in the world (owning $46.5 billion) - appeared on the London stage to discuss the challenges facing the world, before introducing [[w:Dido (singer)|Dido]]. Later, [[w:Kofi Annan|Kofi Annan]], the Secretary-General of the [[w:United Nations|UN]] addressed the audience, thanking them for their support.

However, the first concert to open - in Japan - only drew 10,000 spectators, disappointing many.

The concerts follow on 20 years after the [[w:Live Aid|Live Aid]] concert organised by [[Bob Geldof]], which was created to raise money for famine victims in [[w:Ethopia|Ethopia]].

By contrast, the aim of Live 8 - also organised by Geldof - is not fund-raising but instead to apply pressure to the leaders of the G8 to end world poverty, which claims the lives of 50,000 every day.

The Live 8 organisers are urging the G8 to:

# Double the aid sent to the world's poorest countries,
# Fully cancel their debts,
# Change the trade laws so that they can build their own future.

The Finance Ministers of the G8 [[G8 finance ministers agree on deal to relieve debts of 18 poorest nations|agreed a plan]] last month to cancel the debt of 18 of the poorest countries to the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Fund, but are requiring other countries to end political and financial corruption before they become elegible for debt relief.

On Thursday the President of the United States, [[George W. Bush]], announced that the US will double US aid to [[Africa]] by 2010 - increasing to $8.6 billion a year. Bob Geldof welcomed the news, saying "This is the first time we have heard this sort of language. 

"This is very, very positive indeed."

== Line-up ==
===London, United Kingdom ===
'''Crowd: 205,000'''
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
* [[w:U2 (band)|U2]]
* [[w:Pink Floyd|Pink Floyd]]
* [[w:Paul McCartney|Paul McCartney]]
* [[w:Coldplay|Coldplay]]
* [[w:Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]
* [[w:Sting (singer)|Sting]]
* [[w:Robbie Williams|Robbie Williams]]
* [[w:Dido (singer)|Dido]]
* [[w:Elton John|Elton John]]
* [[w:Keane|Keane]]
* [[w:Annie Lennox|Annie Lennox]]
</div><div style="float:right; width:50%;">
* [[w:Mariah Carey|Mariah Carey]]
* [[w:Scissor Sisters|Scissor Sisters]]
* [[w:Joss Stone|Joss Stone]]
* [[w:Stereophonics|Stereophonics]]
* [[w:REM (band)|REM]]
* [[w:Velvet Revolver|Velvet Revolver]]
* [[w:Bob Geldof|Bob Geldof]]
* [[w:The Killers (band)|The Killers]]
* [[w:The Cure|The Cure]]
* [[w:Snow Patrol|Snow Patrol]]
</div><br clear="all">

===Berlin, Germany ===
[[Image:Live8 berlin publikum.jpg|thumb|150px|Crowds at [[w:Tiergarten|Tiergarten]], [[w:Berlin|Berlin]]]]
'''Crowd: 100,000'''
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
* [[w:Crosby, Stills and Nash|Crosby, Stills and Nash]]
* [[w:Lauryn Hill|Lauryn Hill]]
* [[w:Brian Wilson|Brian Wilson]]
* [[w:A-ha|A-ha]]
* [[w:Bap (artist)|Bap]]
* [[w:Die Toten Hosen|Die Toten Hosen]]
* [[w:Peter Maffay|Peter Maffay]]
* [[w:Green Day|Green Day]]
</div><br clear="all">

===Philadelphia, United States ===
'''Crowd: 800,000 - 1,000,000'''
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
* [[w:Will Smith|Will Smith]] (Host)
* [[w:Bon Jovi|Bon Jovi]]
* [[w:Dave Matthews Band|Dave Matthews Band]]
* [[w:Stevie Wonder|Stevie Wonder]]
* [[w:P. Diddy|P. Diddy]]
* [[w:Maroon 5|Maroon 5]]
* [[w:Toby Keith|Toby Keith]]
</div><div style="float:right; width:50%;">
* [[w:Jay-Z|Jay-Z]]
* [[w:Linkin Park|Linkin Park]]
* [[w:Sarah McLachlan|Sarah McLachlan]]
* [[w:Rob Thomas|Rob Thomas]]
* [[w:Keith Urban|Keith Urban]]
* [[w:50 Cent|50 Cent]]
* [[w:Kaiser Chiefs|Kaiser Chiefs]]
</div><br clear="all">

===Paris, France===
'''Crowd: 200,000'''
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
* [[w:Jamiroquai|Jamiroquai]]
* [[w:Youssou N'Dour|Youssou N'Dour]]
* [[w:Yannick Noah|Yannick Noah]]
* [[w:Placebo (band)|Placebo]]
* [[w:Craig David|Craig David]]
* [[w:Andrea Bocelli|Andrea Bocelli]]
</div><div style="float:right; width:50%;">
* [[w:Calogero|Calogero]]
* [[w:Kyo|Kyo]]
* [[w:Axelle Red|Axelle Red]]
* [[w:David Halliday|David Halliday]]
* [[w:Manu Chao|Manu Chao]]
* [[w:Renaud|Renaud]]
</div><br clear="all">

===Rome, Italy ===
[[Image:Live8 fans got through a lot of water in rome.jpg|thumb|150px|With temperatures in the 30s, fans went through a lot of water at the Live 8 concert in [[w:Rome|Rome]]]]
'''Crowd: 100,000'''
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
* [[w:Duran Duran|Duran Duran]]
* [[w:Faith Hill|Faith Hill]]
* [[w:Tim McGraw|Tim McGraw]]
* [[w:Irene Grandi|Irene Grandi]]
* [[w:Jovanotti|Jovanotti]]
* [[w:Nek|Nek]]
* [[w:Laura Pausini|Laura Pausini]]
* [[w:Vasco Rossi|Vasco Rossi]]
* [[w:Zucchero|Zucchero]]
</div><br clear="all">
Several Italian bands really got the crowd going, but foreign bands such as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were poorly received by the crowd.

===Moscow, Russia ===
'''Crowd: 200,000'''
* [[w:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]]
* [[w:Spleen|Spleen]]
* [[w:Moral Code X|Moral Code X]]

===Barrie, Canada ===
'''Crowd: 35,000'''
* [[w:Neil Young|Neil Young]]
* [[w:Bryan Adams|Bryan Adams]]
* [[w:Celine Dion|Celine Dion]]
* [[w:Motley Crue|Motley Crue]]
* [[w:Simple Plan|Simple Plan]]

===Johannesburg, South Africa ===
'''Crowd: 40,000'''
* [[w:Oumou Sangare|Oumou Sangare]]
* [[w:Zola|Zola]]

===Tokyo, Japan ===
'''Crowd: 10,000'''
* [[w:Björk|Björk]]
* [[w:Good Charlotte|Good Charlotte]]

=== In Cornwall ===
'''Crowd: 5,000'''
* [[w:Darra J|Daara J]]
* [[w:Siyaya|Siyaya]]

{{original}}

This was all Afrcan musicians plus Dido, guesting with Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour.

The Eden centre turned out to be an excellent site for TV or rather a web stream.

WOMAD was involved so there may be a record.

There was a weblink to South Africa and a live message from Nelson Mandela.
* http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kidjo.jpg
* http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Crowd.jpg

Archived video
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/broadband/mediawrapper/consoles/live8?redirect=console.shtml&nbram=1&bbram=1

== Related news ==

*{{Wikinews|title=Live 8 concert plans announced|date=May 31, 2005}}

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4641999.stm
|title=Live 8 global concerts under way
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=July 2, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/02/live8.main/
|title=Millions gather for Live 8
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=July 2, 2005}}

== External links ==

*[http://music.aol.com/live_8_concert/live_now Watch live]
*[http://www.live8live.com/ Live 8]
*[http://www.live8live.com/list/ Live 8 on-line petition]
*[http://borgenproject.blogspot.com Borgen Blog - the cost of poverty]

{{publish}}
{{PD-Article}}
{{archive}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Culture and entertainment]]
[[Category:Television]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Cornwall]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Kofi Annan]]
[[Category:Bill Gates]]
[[Category:Bob Geldof]]
[[Category:G8]]
[[Category:Will Smith]]
[[Category:Rome]]
[[Category:Black Eyed Peas]]
[[Category:Johannesburg]]
[[Category:Elton John]]
[[Category:U2]]
[[Category:Madonna]]

[[de:„Live-8“ - „Keine Wohltätigkeit, sondern Gerechtigkeit!”]]
[[pl:Na całym świecie trwają koncerty Live 8]]
Rome, Italy
Massive music concerts took place around the planet under the Live 8 banner in an effort to put pressure on the leaders of the eight richest countries in the world to end global poverty.

All concerts were timed to take place between noon and 10pm local time, with over a million people expected to attend concerts in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, Canada, South Africa and Russia. The events were broadcast to a potential audience of five and a half billion people world-wide.

The largest concert was in the US in Philadelphia where, over the course of 7 hours, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to watch Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews Band, and Black Eyed Peas among others. Philadelphia native Will Smith both performed and was the opening presenter.  Peak attendance, the maximum amount of people believed to be watching Live 8 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at a given time, is estimated to have been between 600,000 and 800,000.

In Hyde Park in London, 205,000 people watched acts including Elton John, Madonna, Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Pink Floyd. The concert was opened by Sir Paul McCartney and U2 playing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the first time the song has ever been performed live by a Beatle. It ended at 11.58pm with all of the acts coming on stage to sing one last time.
150px
Bill Gates - founder of Microsoft and the richest man in the world (owning $46.5 billion) - appeared on the London stage to discuss the challenges facing the world, before introducing Dido. Later, Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the UN addressed the audience, thanking them for their support.

However, the first concert to open - in Japan - only drew 10,000 spectators, disappointing many.

The concerts follow on 20 years after the Live Aid concert organised by Bob Geldof, which was created to raise money for famine victims in Ethopia.

By contrast, the aim of Live 8 - also organised by Geldof - is not fund-raising but instead to apply pressure to the leaders of the G8 to end world poverty, which claims the lives of 50,000 every day.

The Live 8 organisers are urging the G8 to:

# Double the aid sent to the world's poorest countries,
# Fully cancel their debts,
# Change the trade laws so that they can build their own future.

The Finance Ministers of the G8 agreed a plan last month to cancel the debt of 18 of the poorest countries to the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Fund, but are requiring other countries to end political and financial corruption before they become elegible for debt relief.

On Thursday the President of the United States, George W. Bush, announced that the US will double US aid to Africa by 2010 - increasing to $8.6 billion a year. Bob Geldof welcomed the news, saying "This is the first time we have heard this sort of language. 

"This is very, very positive indeed."

This was all Afrcan musicians plus Dido, guesting with Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour.

The Eden centre turned out to be an excellent site for TV or rather a web stream.

WOMAD was involved so there may be a record.

There was a weblink to South Africa and a live message from Nelson Mandela.
* http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kidjo.jpg
* http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Crowd.jpg

Archived video
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/broadband/mediawrapper/consoles/live8?redirect=console.shtml&nbram=1&bbram=1
Politics and conflicts Economy and business Culture and entertainment Television Europe Cornwall North America Africa Kofi Annan Bill Gates Bob Geldof G8 Will Smith Rome Black Eyed Peas Johannesburg Elton John U2 Madonna