From Benedict Cumberbatch to Eric Cantona, key moments from the star-studded Together for Palestine concert

London's Wembley Arena hosted one of the UK's largest cultural fundraisers for Gaza on Wednesday night, with more than 12,000 people attending Together for Palestine, a five-hour concert that raised over £1.5 million (US$2 million) for Palestinian-led charities.

The concert sold out Wembley Arena, drawing more than 12,000 attendees and generating around £500,000 from ticket sales alone, with further funds raised through online donations and merchandise.

The event, curated by British musician Brian Eno and directed by Palestinian artist Malak Mattar, featured nearly 70 performers and speakers from the fields of music, film, journalism, sport and activism.

Palestinian artists were central to the night's programme. Elyanna, the Palestinian-Chilean singer, closed the event with a song composed by her mother, accompanied on piano by her brother.

Rappers Saint Levant (Marwan Abdelhamid) and El Far3i (Tarek Abu Kwaik), pianist Faraj Suleiman, and singer Nai Barghouti each delivered performances, while DJ Sama' Abdulhadi and oud player Adnan Joubran highlighted the breadth of Palestinian music.

Their sets were accompanied by projected artworks by Palestinian painters, underscoring the cultural identity at the heart of the concert.

Focus on Gaza and slain journalists

Journalist Yara Eid told the audience that more than 270 reporters had been killed in Gaza since October 2023, describing them as "the best of us".

Later, British journalist Mehdi Hasan condemned Western media for failing to acknowledge the deaths of their Palestinian colleagues.

"Shame on those Western journalists who have said not a word about the mass killing of their Palestinian counterparts," he said. "The Palestinian journalists are not just documenting a genocide, they are documenting their own annihilation. And they have shown the world that you can’t bomb the truth away."

Both speeches were met with prolonged applause and standing ovations.

“You can’t bomb the truth away”

My full speech at Wembley Arena tonight, in London, to 12,000 people at the Together for Palestine concert, paying tribute to murdered Palestinian journalists and their bravery, and calling out the silence and complicity of Western media. pic.twitter.com/OMxgaEwIpA

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 18, 2025

International stars voice solidarity

Actors, musicians and presenters joined the line-up. English actor Benedict Cumberbatch read poetry by Mahmoud Darwish alongside Palestinian playwright Amer Hlehel.

Actress Florence Pugh told the crowd: "Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality, it’s complicity."

British singer-songwriter PinkPantheress urged artists to use their platforms, warning that neutrality or silence was not an option.

English singer-songwriter and actress Paloma Faith performed a new song written after she attended a Palestine solidarity march with her daughter.

American comedian and actor Ramy Youssef and Australian actor Guy Pearce also addressed the audience, while British-American journalist Louis Theroux criticised Israeli violence during his remarks.

Retired footballer Eric Cantona, presenter Laura Whitmore and comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg also made appearances.

Calls for accountability from Gere, Albanese and Kapos

Actor Richard Gere recalled his participation in concerts against apartheid in South Africa, before calling for political action over Gaza.

"Of course, Netanyahu has to go. All the enablers have to go, also," he said, drawing cheers.

When he mentioned Donald Trump, who was visiting the UK this week, the arena erupted in boos.

"There's one man who could stop this in one day… my president Trump," Gere added.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, told the crowd that Britain had "planted the seed of this catastrophe through the Balfour Declaration".

Albanese, who has faced political pressure and sanctions from the United States for her outspoken criticism of Israel's crimes, told the crowd that international law and accountability were essential tools to confront Israel's genocide in Gaza.

Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos reinforced the moral arguments presented on stage. He spoke about his own experiences and insisted that solidarity with Palestinians was not only a political position but a moral duty.

 

 

 

 

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Major performances streamed worldwide

English virtual band Gorillaz headlined with a set streamed live on YouTube, giving the concert a global audience, extending beyond Wembley. The band performed several crowd favourites alongside a track from their upcoming album, marking the first time the new song was played publicly.

Gorillaz creator Damon Albarn also appeared separately, joining the Juzour Dance Collective for a performance that combined live music with Palestinian dance, drawing strong applause from the arena.

Other international acts included Jamie XX, who delivered a DJ set, James Blake, who performed solo material on piano and vocals, and Bastille, who played a selection of their most recognisable songs. Hot Chip added an electronic set that kept much of the crowd on their feet.

Palestinian artist Saint Levant was among the younger performers, taking the stage with a mix of English, Arabic and French lyrics that resonated strongly with the audience.

The London Arab Orchestra contributed orchestral arrangements rooted in Arab musical traditions. Later, Neneh Cherry joined Greentea Peng on stage for a performance of Cherry's and Youssou N'Dour's 1994 hit Seven Seconds, one of the most celebrated moments of the night.

Millions raised for Palestinian charities

The concert drew comparisons with the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th birthday tribute and the 1992 AIDS Awareness fundraiser.

Brian Eno, who organised the event, said he hoped Together for Palestine would have a similar effect.

"This goes beyond money," he wrote before the concert. "It is a message of love and solidarity to the Palestinian people that they are not forgotten. We see them, we hear them, and we are deeply connected to them."

Proceeds are being channelled through the UK charity Choose Love to organisations including Taawon, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society.

The concert took place as Israel's war on Gaza nears its second year. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 170,000 injured since October 2023, most of them women and children.