Words by Smiley Team
Marcus Rashford isn’t the only celebrity with food poverty on their radar. This month Sam Smith (pictured), The Blossoms, Fontaines D.C., Newton Faulkner and Flogging Molly will join over 40 performers at a virtual festival to fight hunger and support struggling artists in the UK. Organised by the socially-conscious retailer, Co-op, Music Feeds festival will take place in the evenings of 28th and 29th January 2021 from 8pm.
To coincide with the event, Co-op will donate £1 million to charity. The contribution will be split between FareShare, the UK’s most established food distribution charity; and two organisations that support live production workers through times of crisis, Help Musicians and Stagehand.
CEO of Co-op Food Jo Whitfield said: “Hunger knows no borders, and neither should our response. All year round, Co-op works to tackle food hunger and we’re thrilled to be uniting with outstanding musicians from across the world to turn up the volume on the issue.
“The pandemic has brought a sharper focus on issues such as food poverty and many in the music industry have seen their livelihoods disappear overnight because of lockdown restrictions. It’s right that we should lend our support and co-operate with musicians to raise awareness and raise funds for such vital causes.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, as many as one in ten of the UK’s poorest citizens have been forced to use food banks. Music Feeds will offer much-needed financial support to charities working tirelessly to tackle this problem. It should also offer two nights of entertainment to beat boredom in lockdown.
Music industry veteran, and James band member, Saul Davies, is the creative driving force behind Music Feeds. He said: “At Music Feeds you’ll get never-seen performances from leading artists, uncover new bands, and get up-close and personal with interviews. The festival will be broadcast to your Smart TV and devices over two nights, and festival-goers can even join the sofa mosh-pit via the simultaneous Twitter listening party. Additional artists who have been unable to perform have donated unique items for the companions’ Music Feed charity auction.”
By buying a single ticket to the two nights priced at just £15, you could help support poor people in the UK endure the pandemic. To purchase one for yourself or a friend visit the virtual ticket booth. There is also the option of donating more.
