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Mika to perform virtual concert “I Love Beirut” in aid of Beirut blast recovery

 Mika will stream a live concert to raise funds for those affected by the Beirut port explosion. (Instagram/@mikainstagram)
Mika will stream a live concert to raise funds for those affected by the Beirut port explosion. (Instagram/@mikainstagram)
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19 Sep 2020 07:09:08 GMT9
19 Sep 2020 07:09:08 GMT9

In solidarity with his homeland, Lebanese-British singer Mika will stream a live concert on September 19 to raise money for charities in Lebanon that are aiding in the extensive rebuilding efforts after a major explosion that ripped through the Beirut port area on August 4, killing at least 200 and wounding thousands.

Titled “I Love Beirut” the concert will feature Mika performing a selection of his top tracks such as Relax, Take It Easy and Grace Kelly, live on YouTube across four time zones.

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On Saturday 19th September I will be broadcasting a very intimate show to raise money for the people of Beirut. The terrible explosion in Beirut’s port killed hundreds, injured thousands and left many more homeless. I wanted to do something to help in any small way I can. That is why I’ll be hosting a very special performance, with some surprises, and it will be streamed online on 4 time zones. Money raised will be split between two charities that are doing incredible work on the ground in Beirut, focusing on emergency response and rebuilding the city – @lebaneseredcross and @savechildrenuk, who are working on the ground in Beirut. The concert will be livestreamed on YouTube. Tickets will be available from Monday 24th August at 10am CET – keep your eyes on the GoFundMe page for further details (link in bio). Beirut has been through so much and the resilience and strength the Lebanese people is undeniable. It is the place of my birth, a part of me and will always be in my heart. ‘I ❤️ Beirut’ #ILoveBeirut

A post shared by MIKA (@mikainstagram) on

Writing to his 1.3 million Instagram followers, Mika said: “On Saturday 19th September I will be broadcasting a very intimate show to raise money for the people of Beirut. The terrible explosion in Beirut’s port killed hundreds, injured thousands and left many more homeless. I wanted to do something to help in any small way I can. That is why I’ll be hosting a very special performance, with some surprises, and it will be streamed online on 4 time zones. Money raised will be split between two charities that are doing incredible work on the ground in Beirut, focusing on emergency response and rebuilding the city – @lebaneseredcross and @savechildrenuk, who are working on the ground in Beirut. The concert will be livestreamed on YouTube. Tickets will be available from Monday 24th August at 10am CET – keep your eyes on the GoFundMe page for further details. Beirut has been through so much and the resilience and strength the Lebanese people is undeniable. It is the place of my birth, a part of me and will always be in my heart. ‘I ❤️(love) Beirut’.”

Mika has also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser through which additional donations can be made. Aiming to raise AED 482,247 for the aforementioned non-profit organizations, he has encouraged his followers to donate in support of his disaster-stricken country.

In August, the days after the explosion, the Beirut-born musician shared a letter describing the situation in Lebanon after the blast and expressing the personal impact that it has had on him. 

“Forced with this chaos, I recall a line from the Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran: “one can only reach dawn by taking the path of night”. For some nights now, you have once again been sinking into the path of night. There are divisions, echoes of conflicts at your borders, corruption, the powerlessness of your leaders, the monetary crisis which has plunged your families into misery and then the surge of the coronavirus epidemic. The carefree Lebanese nature, the answer to dramas in the past, was replaced by anger and fear. I became more anxious each passing day, as if my wounds, the roots which I’d left behind at the age of only one and a half were finally catching up with me,” Mika said.

 

The Tickets to Mika’s virtual concert can be purchased on Ticketmaster for AED 48 per ticket, with all proceeds to be split equally between Red Cross Lebanon and Save the Children Lebanon, two organizations that are providing emergency response relief efforts on the ground in Lebanon. 

For people in the UK and Ireland, the show will be streamed at 8 p.m. BST/IST (4 p.m. Japan and 11 p.m. UAE time). In Europe, the concert will be streamed at  9 p.m. CEST/ 8 p.m. BST p.m. In North, Central and South America, the concert live stream time will be at 6 p.m. PDT/ 9 p.m. EDT. While in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, the concert can be viewed the following day at 8pm AEST, 10p.m NZST or 7p.m JST and KST.

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