The FireAid Benefit Concert estimates that over $100 million has been raised for Los Angeles fire victims and fire prevention initiatives since last Thursday’s concert as donations still pour in.
Over 50 million viewers streamed the over six-hour benefit concert last week on 28 broadcasting partners. The show featured performances from SoCal artists like Billie Eilish, Katy Perry and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. More than 30 artists performed between two venues, the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum, in L.A.
The estimated amount raised from the concert includes ticket sales for both venues, sponsorships, merchandise sales and donations from the public, including private gifts from the Azoff family, the Eagles, Andrew Hauptman and Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and U2, according to the FireAid team.
Every dollar raised by the concert was matched by L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie, doubling the total number raised from the mammoth show. FireAid was not able to provide the exact amount matched, as donations are still being collected, but the matched amount is included in the estimated $100 million.
Before the show even began, FireAid had raised over $60 million from ticket sales and sponsorships alone. The FireAid Grants Advisory Committee led by the Annenberg Foundation, a longstanding L.A. non-profit organization, will recommend how the contributions should be distributed.
The team intends to “direct funds for the greatest impact,” specifically towards short-term relief and long-term initiatives to prevent large-scale, destructive fires in SoCal moving forward.
“The committee has been listening daily to affected communities, assessing local resource gaps to ensure aid reaches those most in need, and researching the handling of other fire disasters, such as those in Maui and Northern California,” the FireAid Grants Advisory Committee team said in a release Tuesday. “The first phase of grants are expected to be awarded by mid-February.”
Shelli and Irving Azoff produced the benefit concert in conjunction with Live Nation and the LA Clippers – thanks to the producing partners, the venues were completely expensed, Azoff told TheWrap. Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet served as the executive producer, with Rick Krim as the FireAid talent producer.
The presenting partners of FireAid were Kaiser Permanente, Live Nation and Scopely, whose support helped inspire more than 50 brands to contribute to this critical cause including Diamond Partners – American Express, AT&T, Capital Group, Netflix, Snap Inc., U.S. Bank, UBS, Venmo and Visa Foundation. Gold Partners – AEG Presents, DIRECTV, Goldman Sachs, HBO, Intuit, Starbucks, YouTube and the Verizon Foundation. Silver Partners – CalHOPE, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, JPMorganChase, Salesforce, Schuman Family Foundation, SiriusXM, Sony Honda Mobility, Spotify and TikTok.
