Madonna, the Police join Live Earth benefit concerts

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 | 11:23 AM ET

CBC Arts

Madonna, the Beastie Boys, the Police, Kanye West and Roger Waters are among the latest artists to sign up for environmental activist Al Gore's Live Earth concert series.

Madonna has joined the London lineup for the upcoming Live Earth concerts.
(Rene Tillmann/Associated Press)

On Tuesday, organizers announced a host of additional performers joining the U.S. and U.K. lineups for the globe-spanning concert series, set to roll out on July 7 over a 24-hour period.

"We hope the energy created by Live Earth will jump start a massive public education effort," Gore said about the consciousness-raising concerts in a statement Tuesday.

"Live Earth will help us reach a tipping point that's needed to move corporations and governments to take decisive action to solve the climate crisis."

Gigs are also set to take place in Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro, while organizers are trying to schedule an event for Antarctica.

In addition to Madonna and the Beastie Boys, the London show set for Wembley Stadium is packed with chart-topping acts, including James Blunt, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, John Legend, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae and Keane.

The U.S. show, which Gore had originally wanted to stage at the National Mall in Washington, is now set to take place at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Joining The Police, West and Waters on the U.S. stage will be the reunited Smashing Pumpkins, Alicia Keys, KT Tunstall, Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Etheridge, among others.

Tuesday's acts join previously announced performers including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Jon Bon Jovi, the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, Korn, Pharrell, the Black Eyed Peas and Faith Hill.

Environmental activist and former U.S. vice-president Al Gore announced the Live Earth concert series in February.
(Koji Sasahara/Associated Press)

Organizers hinted that more performers will be announced at a future date and said they ultimately hope to attract an audience of more than one billion people: more than one million people actually in attendance at the shows around the world and millions more tuning in to television, radio and internet broadcasts.

Former U.S. vice-president Gore unveiled the concert series — which he admitted he modelled after Bob Geldof's Live Aid and Live 8 events — in February, as a high profile way to raise awareness about global warming and climate change.

Proceeds raised from the concerts are earmarked for a host of environmental organizations.