Major Aussie Bushfire Fundraiser Sound Relief Canceled


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Sound Relief 2020, a massive bushfire fundraiser mooted to be held over two weekends in March, was canceled Jan. 29.

It was announced in early January and saw major promoters Frontier Touring, Live Nation Australasia, Chugg Entertainment, Secret Sounds and IMC come together.
In an exclusive interview with Pollstar, Frontier’s Michael Gudinski revealed six shows would be held – five in Australia and one in New Zealand – and he hoped that given the outpouring of support from international artists and management, there would be a handful of dates in the northern hemisphere.
No acts were announced before today’s cancellation, but media speculation suggested acts like Pink, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Kylie Minogue would perform.
It was expected that the shows’ ticket tally and corporate sponsorship would raise A$50 million ($33.8 million).
In a statement officially confirming the cancellation, organisers said, “Since announcing our intention to undertake Sound Relief 2020 the offer of assistance from International and Domestic artists, industry, media and suppliers has been second to none. 
“However Sound Relief is a series of concert events that we don’t wish to stage lightly and after careful consideration, we believe proceeding with the concerts in March won’t produce the impactful result that we believe these events can – and should – have.”
It added: “It is clear that there is no overnight fix for the issues our beautiful country is currently facing, and our discussions for any future event are subsequently shifting to restoration, recovery and prevention and a view to maximising results to best benefit these areas.” 
The first Sound Relief shows, on March 14, 2009, were staged at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground and raised $8 million ($5.4 million) for victims of Victoria’s bushfires and Queensland flooding.
Acts included Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Barry Gibb, & Olivia Newton-John Midnight Oil, Kylie Minogue, Jet, Kings of Leon, Icehouse, Crowded House, Wolfmother, Hoodoo Gurus, Paul Kelly and a reunited Hunters & Collectors.
The Melbourne show’s attendance of 80,518 set a new record for the MCG.
TEG’s Fire Fight Australia, February 16 at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, features Queen + Adam Lambert, 5 Seconds of Summer, Hilltop Hoods, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Icehouse, Guy Sebastian, Alice Cooper, Delta Goodrem and Amy Shark.