Vax Live concert: Meghan Markle gives first TV appearance after Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters and more perform
Fundraiser was designed to ‘reunite the world’ following the pandemic
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Your support makes all the difference.Vax Live, a concert designed to “reunite the world” after the coronavirus pandemic, aired on Saturday (8 May) after taking place last weekend.
The pre-taped event brought together celebrities and political leaders, including President Joe Biden, Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez and Foo Fighters. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman also served as guest speakers during the event staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Global Citizen, an action group seeking to “end extreme poverty by 2030”, was behind the show, which doubled as a fundraiser for the organisation.
Lopez opened the evening with a moving rendition of “Sweet Caroline”, welcoming her mother Guadalupe Rodríguez onto the stage. Rodríguez sang her own version of the Neil Diamond classic, changing the lyrics to “Sweet Jennifer” – as she used to do when Lopez was a child.
Eddie Vedder provided another of the evening’s highlights, in an energetic set introduced by Sean Penn.
In a guest appearance, Olivia Munn discussed the rise of hate crimes targeting Asian American people amid the pandemic. Several of the evening’s speakers stressed the importance for countries not to stockpile doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, sharing it instead with nations which need it.
Prince Harry appeared onstage on two different occasions during the show. He and Meghan Markle acted as campaign chairs for the event, promoting vaccine access equality and voicing their support for vaccination efforts. Meghan couldn’t attend the event in person, presumably because she’s currently pregnant with her second child, but she contributed a pre-recorded video message which aired during the broadcast.
“As campaign chairs of Vax Live, my husband and I believe it's critical that our recovery prioritises the health, safety and success of everyone – and particularly women, who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic,” she said in her remarks, which marked her first TV appearance since she and Harry spoke with Oprah Winfrey for a headline-making interview which aired in March.
She added: “My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.”
Foo Fighters delivered the longest set of the evening and were joined by AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for a rendition of “Back in Black”. Dave Grohl and his band mates, like the rest of the acts at Vax Live, seemed visibly thrilled to be back on stage, and gave an energetic, thrilling performance.
Follow the event as it happened with our live blog:
Hello, and welcome to our live blog running through all the updates from tonight’s Vax Live fundraiser!
This charity fundraiser is designed to “reunite the world” in a post-Covid time. Find out details on how to donate here
Here’s how to donate to Vax Live ahead of the concert
‘Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World’ will air on YouTube on 8 May
The gig, from Global Citizen, was recorded last weekend, and is aiming to raise $22.1 bn from governments, businesses and philanthropists.
It will be broadcast on major US TV channels and YouTube TONIGHT
Our very own write Kevin EG Perry attended the concert – check out his verdict here.
Foo Fighters team up with AC/DC singer to rock Vax Live – but J Lo’s mum steals the show
Prince Harry’s in-person appearance scored the biggest spontaneous standing ovation of an event that marked a return to some familiarity
Wondering how you can watch the concert in the UK? Here’s everything you need to know.
Vax Live: How to watch the concert hosted by Selena Gomez
Event is ‘calling on leaders to make sure vaccines are accessible for all so we can end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere’
Apparently, Jennifer Lopez’s mum steals the show – you’ll have to watch it to discover how...
According to the event’s website, Vax Live is “calling on leaders to make sure vaccines are accessible for all so we can end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere”.
Good evening everyone! Clémence here taking over from Jacob. With just 20 minutes left before the concert, now’s a great time to read up on the line-up, which includes Harry and Meghan:
Harry and Meghan to make major post-Oprah appearance
#VaxLive concert will urge world leaders to ‘make sure vaccines are accessible for all’
Chrissy Teigen, who makes an appearance during the concert, shared this photo of herself gazing at the venue on the day of the taping ahead of tonight’s broadcast:
Just to set the record straight on the logistics behind the Vax Live concert: the show itself took place a few days ago in Inglewood, California, but is being broadcast tonight. That broadcast is expected to include a video message from Meghan Markle which wasn’t shown during the live event.
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