A star-studded line-up is taking over two venues in Los Angeles for a benefit concert to help the area recover from two of the largest fires in its history. More than 20 artists from various genres are on the line-up for the FireAid benefit show, which is happening simultaneously at two large venues in the city. Among those set to preform are Sting, P!nk, Lil Baby, Rod Stewart, Lady Gaga and Earth Wind & Fire. The lineup also includes multiple acts who were born in the LA area, including Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt. Proceeds from the concert and donations during the show will go toward rebuilding communities and preventing future fires in the region. At least 28 people died and more than 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in the fast-spreading, destructive fires that broke out in early January. The shows are taking place at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, two large arenas about a mile apart, on Thursday evening. The shows will start about an hour and half apart and reportedly include two to four songs from each artist. At Intuit Dome, those preforming include: Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire. At the Kia Forum, those preforming include: Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes, and John Mayer. Dave Matthews was also supposed to perform at the second show, but pulled out on Wednesday night, due to a "critical illness in the family". Organisers say performances will be staggered, and shown on large screens at both arenas so there's no down time between acts. The shows are also expected to feature special guests and have an emphasis on those who have been impacted by the fires and the first responders who helped douse the infernos. Yes. Organisers say it will be streamed for free on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Facebook, Instagram, Max, Netflix, Tudum, DirectTV, Paramount+, Peacock, NBC News Now, YouTube and KTLA. The concert will also be shown in select AMC and Regal theatres across the US. The music kicks off at 18:00 in LA (21:00 in New York, 02:00 Friday in the UK). Viewers will be able to donate money to relief efforts during the show, either by text message or by visiting FireAidLA.org. Donations will be overseen by the Annenberg Foundation, focusing on both short-term relief efforts and long-term fire prevention projects. Additionally, Connie and Steve Ballmer - who own the LA Clippers basketball team, as well as the Intuit Dome and Forum - will match all donations made during the broadcast. The Palisades and Eaton fires became the largest fires ever seen in the LA area earlier this month. Both erupted on 7 January as the region saw a strong wind event, making the small blazes in brushy, mountainous areas hard to contain. Embers travelled miles, igniting whole communities and levelling neighbourhoods. Nearly 7,000 structures were levelled in the Palisades fire in northwest LA. Another 9,400 were destroyed in the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County. The fires also claimed a number of victims. — BBC
