Together for Palestine was a celebration of solidarity, art and life

Obongjayar took to the stage in the early evening for his performance at the Together for Palestine benefit gig yesterday. The expansive, 12,000 capacity Wembley Arena had mostly filled up, and the Nigeria-born, London-based singer got feet tapping and hips swaying with a performance of his 2020 track ​‘God’s own Children’.

“In this dance, we dance together / On our streets it’s Armageddon / In this fire, we fight together / No retreat and no surrender,” he sang over a West African inspired groove.

It was a fitting call for unity, setting the scene for an evening full of them. Organised by British music legend Brian Eno to raise funds for Choose Love, who will distribute the money to charities working on the ground – namely Taawon, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society – the benefit concert had a packed, Glastonbury worthy line-up of artists and performers. By the end of the night, it was announced that just under £1.5 million had been raised. 

Together for Palestine was much more than a gig though, and much more than a fundraiser. It was a celebration of Palestinian art and culture, solidarity, life and people. Live music formed a key part of the proceedings, with highlight moments coming from King Krule, Greentea Peng, Sampha, a one-off Portishead reunion recording, and a special collaboration between the London Arab Orchestra, Damon Albarn and the Juzour Dance Collective to perform a rendition of Palestinian folk and resistance songs, including Mohammend Assaf’s ​‘Dammi Falastini’. And importantly, Palestinian musicians were given top billing, with pop stars Saint Levant and Elyanna bringing the evening to a close.

• Read next: ​“Moment of escape”: Maen Hammad’s defiant West Bank skate photos

But the evening was also partly an art exhibition, with paintings by Palestinian artists including Malak Mattar, Suha Shoman and Nabil Anani beamed onto the screen behind the performers. The evening was also in part a spoken word night, with artists and actors including Benedict Cumberbatch, Ruth Negga, and Brian Eno reading out Palestinian poetry, while Riz Ahmed performed in a theatrical stage performance alongside Guy Pearce, Amer Hlehel, Inua Ellams, Motaz Malhees and 47SOUL’s El Far3i about Palestinian men.

And it was also a protest. Eric Cantona called for a boycott of Israeli football alongside Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak, just two months after Suleiman Obeid aka the ​‘Palestinian Pelé’ was killed by an Israeli attack while attempting to retrieve aid, according to the Palestinian Football Association. Activists spoke out against the ongoing atrocities and long term occupation, including photographer Misan Harriman with Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos, and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Representation also came from those working to save lives and help out on the frontlines, despite the dangers of doing so. Victoria Rose and Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah spoke in front of Palestinian doctors holding up white medical gowns, while the most rousing speeches came from new media organisation Zeteo’s founder Mehdi Hasan, who strode out in a ​“PRESS” hoodie and spoke out against the killing of journalists in Gaza, noting how 270 journalists have been killed – more than the combined total in the First Warld War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War combined. He introduced Palestinian journalist Yara Eid, who then shared how she’d lost a heartbreaking 90 family members in Israeli airstrikes, as well as her ​“soulmate”.

• Read next: Eric Cantona calls for boycott of Israeli football at Together for Palestine

There were a small handful of moments that didn’t quite click, including an awkward interaction between Amelia Dimoldenberg and Louis Theroux that came across as cautionary with the language that they used. Ultimately, the most powerful moments were off-the-cuff and spoken from the chest, notably when Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti dedicated her set to Hind Rajab, and King Krule walked off stage saying simply: ​“Fuck the UK government.”

Yet despite the overwhelming sense of hope and unity, while 12,000 were dancing, chanting and singing along to the performances and speeches, Israel was launching its ground offensive into Gaza City, following weeks of intense bombardment. While it was easy to feel the love and unity from the safety of a seat in Wembley’s North side, the reality of life on the ground in Gaza remains horrific. The need for real action, from those who wield true power in the world, remains as pressing as ever. As actor Richard Gere said: ​“There’s one man who could stop this whole thing in one day. My President, Trump.”

Ultimately though, Together for Palestine was a powerful celebration of life and humanity, a step in the right direction in the UK’s culture scene, and a rousing call to the end of a genocide that has gone on for far, far too long. Consider donating to Choose Love, Taawon, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society to support the relief effort in Gaza.

Isaac Muk is Huck’s digital editor. Follow him on Bluesky.

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