On March 29, the “Concert for Ukraine” will take place in Birmingham, England, the aim of which is to raise funds to help people affected by war. Ed Sheeran , one of music’s biggest stars, has confirmed his attendance, and in the past few hours he’s received a touching request. The popular Ukrainian group Antytila, which is fighting in its country against the troops of Vladimir Putin, asked the singer to perform remotely from kyiv.
“Hello, Ed, greetings from Kyiv. We are Ukrainian musicians from Antytila band, one of the most popular bands in Ukraine, with many fans in Ukraine and all over the world. In moments of peace, our concerts filled the stadiums. The war changed our lives. And now we fight with our weapons against the Russian invaders, ”begins the message from the Ukrainian musicians sent to Ed Sheeran via Facebook.
In the video, you can see three members of the group, dressed in military clothing.
“We propose to broadcast live between Kiev and Birmingham (…) Our group will play its music in Kiev, a city that has not given up and will never surrender to the Russian invaders”, adds one of the musicians in his message.
With a visibly destroyed building in the background, the young man assures us that they will not be afraid “to play under the bombs”: “Through music, we want to show the world that Ukraine is strong and that it will not be conquered”.
“We will fight and sing for victory in front of everyone who supports us. On March 29, we will be ready,” he concludes.
Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Emeli Sandé, Gregory Porter, Snow Patrol, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Tom Odell, Becky Hill and The Kingdom Choir are among the artists and groups who have already confirmed their presence at the charity show.
Camila Cabello took to her social media to express her sorrow over what happened in Ukraine: “Let’s take a moment to pray for peace.”
“I am heartbroken for the Ukrainian people. As refugees from Ukraine join millions of other displaced people around the world, we all have a responsibility. One of the biggest needs is to secure funding for organizations that can serve these communities directly, so we are focused on doing that as quickly as possible,” he added.
The event, promoted by UK broadcaster ITV, STV and Livewire Pictures with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the Global Entertainment Group, will be televised and all proceeds will go to the DEC fund. The organizers plan to raise almost three million pounds (nearly four million dollars).
“It is heartbreaking to see the crisis unfolding in Ukraine deepen as more and more refugees cross borders every day with nothing but what they can carry. The situation of the inhabitants of the country is increasingly precarious. But there is something we can all do to bring hope. Funds raised from this concert will make a real difference to those affected by the conflict, sending a strong message of love and enabling CED’s charities to help now with urgent aid and help rebuild lives in the months and years to come,” said Saleh Saeed , Executive Director of DEC.
Bobby Hain , STV’s Broadcasting General Manager, also spoke about the charity event: “We have seen time and time again that the generosity of STV viewers knows no bounds. As the crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate at an alarming rate, this event will be an opportunity for our audience to come together through the power of music, show our unconditional support for Ukraine and help make a difference for those affected by the work of CED’s charities.