It promised to be Australia’s answer to 1985’s history-making Live Aid, with a line-up starry enough to make a planetarium jealous. But alas, Sound Relief 2020, the all-star fundraising spectacular set to feature Kylie Minogue, Sir Elton John, Pink, Ed Sheeran and Bruce Springsteen, wasn’t meant to be.
In a statement posted to the Sound Relief Facebook page, the organisers – major Australian production company Mushroom Group – announced that they would not be going ahead with the blockbusting show that was set to take place in March.
“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,” the statement read.
Buzz about the Sound Relief concerts had been fever-pitched since Michael Gudinsky, the founder and chairman of Mushroom Group, told the ABC on January 14 about plans for a multi-city fundraising tour featuring megastar acts. The interview came hot on the heels of the announcement of the Fire Fight Australia arena fundraiser, taking place at the ANZ Stadium on February 16, which had sold out within hours of going on sale. That gig, which is being headlined by Queen, Alice Cooper and Tina Arena, will be screened live on Channel 7.