The aftermath of the tragic fires that took place in early January in Los Angeles has been devastating, yet hopeful. The city has come together to support one another, and part of that is raising money to cover the billions of dollars that will be needed for the city to recover. One of the many events that have taken place is Fire Aid, a concert for fire relief. I had the privilege of attending, and here is a breakdown and review of the night.
The event was split into two arenas, the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome and many streaming platforms livestreamed the event. The Kia forums set started before the Intuit Dome, and so at the Intuit dome I got to watch the artists and the forum, and vice versa. The arenas never had artists going at the same time, so that everyone could watch all artists. Both events had the same merchandise.
There was a buzz in the air throughout the entire night. While LA had just experienced natural disasters beyond imagination, there was a feeling of strong community and excitement to see amazing artists come together to support their hometown, or a place that they love like no other. Many videos with locals describing their experiences were shown, and a few of those people even came on stage to announce artists, an amazing addition to the show that really demonstrated that this was done for the city and its people.
The Kia Forum’s performers were Alanis Morisette, Anderson Paak, John Mayer, Graham Nash, Dawes, The Black Crowes, Green Day, Pink, No Doubt, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. While I was not at the Forum, watching it on the Intuit Dome’s screens was all I needed to see how amazing it was. It started with Green Day surprising the crowd with the appearance of Billie Eilish, who performed and then made her way to the Intuit Dome. It ended in an amazing performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The Intuit Dome’s performers were Peso Pluma, Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Tate McRae, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Rod Stewart, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Katy Perry, and Earth, Wind & Fire. It started with Rod Stewart’s Forever Young, and ended with Lady Gaga debuting a song she wrote for the concert, Time Is A Healer.
The event ended up raising $100 million from an estimated 50 million viewers that tuned in across 28 streaming platforms. It was a huge success and an important night that will go down in Los Angeles for raising money and boosting morale.
