Hollywood stars raise $2 million at 'Together for Palestine' benefit concert in London

British celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch and Florence Pugh joined a benefit concert raising for Gaza.

A star-studded concert at London’s OVO Arena Wembley has raised $2 million for humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, with high-profile names including Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicola Coughlan, Florence Pugh, Richard Gere, and Riz Ahmed taking part.

The 'Together for Palestine' event, held on Wednesday before a 12,500-capacity audience, was livestreamed globally and coordinated by musician Brian Eno, with Palestinian artist Malak Mattar as artistic director.

Funds from ticket sales, online donations, and merchandise are being distributed by the UK charity Choose Love to organisations such as the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society.

Speakers and performers delivered powerful messages throughout the evening. UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese urged the audience not to forget those suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, while Florence Pugh told the crowd, “Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality. It is complicity.”

Cumberbatch read Mahmoud Darwish’s poem On this land there are reasons to live alongside playwright Amer Hlehel. Nicola Coughlan, Louis Theroux, Leigh-Anne, Charithra Chandran, Mehdi Hasan and PinkPantheress also lent their voice to speak for ongoing genocide.

The concert featured performances by Damon Albarn, James Blake, Bastille, Hot Chip, and Palestinian musicians including Nai Barghouti, Saint Levant and Faraj Suleiman. A pre-recorded video message from Cillian Murphy, Billie Eilish, Joaquin Phoenix, and Brian Cox called for an immediate ceasefire.

Eric Cantona urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel, while journalist Yara Eid highlighted the deaths of hundreds of reporters in Gaza since October 2023.

The benefit combined ticket sales, priced at around $96 each, with online donations and merchandise designed by Bella Freud and others.