Los Angeles, July 10 (IANS) Singers Beyonce Knowles, Jay-Z and Ed Sheeran will headline a special Global Citizen Festival in honour of Nelson Mandela in South Africa on December 2.
The concert, to be held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, organisers announced early Monday, reports variety.com.
Mandela died in 2013.
Others performing at the festival include Usher, Eddie Vedder, a joint set from Pharrell Williams and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and African artists including Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest and Femi Kuti.
Oprah Winfrey will give a keynote address on Mandela’s legacy, and other hosts will include Naomi Campbell, Forest Whitaker and Tyler Perry.
The Global Citizen organisation has a stated goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. With its Mandela 100 campaign, it hopes to bring in $1 billion.
“Global Citizen’s campaign, which aims to rally $1 billion in new commitments, with $500 million of that set to impact the lives of 20 million women and girls worldwide, will focus on the first six Global Goals: ending poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and life below water,” the announcement read.