Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore has announced a series of worldwide concerts on July 7 to focus on the issue of climate change.

A powerhouse lineup of music stars has agreed to participate in the seven Live Earth concerts, promised to rival the Live 8 event in 2005.

Former vice-president Al Gore, shown promoting his documentary An Inconvenient Truth in January, is backing the Live Earth concert series.
(Koji Sasahara/Associated Press)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Bon Jovi, the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, Korn, Pharrell, the Black Eyed Peas and Faith Hill are among the performers who will take part.

The 24-hour event is part of Gore's Save Our Selves — The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis, which aims to bring attention to the need to move away from fossil fuels to prevent catastrophic climate change.

"In order to solve the climate crisis, we have to reach billions of people," Gore said. "The climate crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement."

Live Earth concerts are confirmed for Shanghai, Johannesburg, London and Sydney, Australia, and more are planned in cities yet to be announced.

Gore, a former presidential candidate, has spent the last few years campaigning with his film An Inconvenient Truth, which is nominated for a best documentary Oscar.

Melissa Etheridge, whose song I Need to Wake Up has also earned an Oscar nomination, will be among the 100 performers scheduled to appear July 7.

The Save our Selves campaign was founded by Kevin Wall, who won an Emmy as worldwide executive producer of Live 8, which was held to draw attention to global poverty and to pressure G-8 leaders to do more to help poor countries.

Proceeds from the Live Earth concert will create a foundation to combat climate change led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by Gore.

Gore recently began recruiting young ambassadors for climate change to spread his message around the world.