Concert for Diana

Last updated

Concert for Diana
Concertfordiana2007.png
Genre Benefit concert
Dates1 July 2007
Location(s) Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
Founded by Prince William
Prince Harry
Website www.concertfordiana.com (Archived)

Concert for Diana was a benefit concert held at the then newly built Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday. 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death. The concert was hosted by Diana's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who helped to organise many of the world's most famous entertainers and singers to perform. Proceeds from the concert went to Diana's charities, as well as to charities of which William and Harry are patrons. [1]

Contents

The concert was broadcast in 140 different countries across the world [2] with an estimated potential audience of 500 million. [3] In December 2006, 22,500 tickets were made available for purchase for the concert, selling out in just 17 minutes. [2] 63,000 people turned out to Wembley Stadium to watch the performances to commemorate Diana. [2] [4] [5] At the end of the performances, a video montage of Diana as a child was presented, accompanied by the Queen song "These Are the Days of Our Lives". [6]

The concert started at 16:00 BST and finished at approximately 22:15 BST – there were two short intermissions during the concert. [7] A 2-Disc DVD set of the full concert was released on 5 November 2007. A Blu-ray high definition release of the full concert and documentary was released in November 2008.

Planning

In pre-concert interview, Prince William listed Michael Jackson as one of Diana's most favourite music acts, but Jackson did not appear on the show.

In one of the many tabloid stories that surfaced relating to the concert and the following week's Live Earth event, it was alleged that Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keane, and other acts were set to play at the concert but were lost to Live Earth. The concert organisers were apparently trying to secure their top acts, and are also being pressured into rethinking their lineup to appeal to younger people, and compare to Live Earth. [8]

Catherine Middleton, now Prince William's wife, and Chelsy Davy, the now ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry, attended the concert. It has been rumoured that they were involved in helping to plan the event. [9]

Queen guitarist Brian May was expected to perform alongside Joss Stone in her version of "Under Pressure", but pulled out of accompanying after finding the new arrangement of his band's song "different... from the original". [10]

Timeline

Take That performing TakeThatDianaConcert.JPG
Take That performing
Elton John's second performance EltonJohnDianaConcert.JPG
Elton John's second performance
  1. Elton John – "Your Song"
  2. Duran Duran – "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise", "The Wild Boys" and "Rio"
  3. James Morrison – "You Give Me Something" and "Wonderful World"
  4. Lily Allen – "LDN" and "Smile"
  5. Fergie – "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry"
  6. The Feeling – "Fill My Little World" and "Love It When You Call"
  7. Pharrell Williams – "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "She Wants To Move (Remix)"
  8. Nelly Furtado – "Say It Right", "I'm Like a Bird" and "Maneater"
  9. English National Ballet – "Swan Lake" (Act IV)
  10. Status Quo – "Rockin' All Over the World"
  11. Joss Stone – "You Had Me" and "Under Pressure"
  12. Roger Hodgson – Supertramp Medley ("Dreamer", "The Logical Song" and "Breakfast in America") and "Give a Little Bit"
  13. Orson – "Happiness" and "No Tomorrow"
  14. Tom Jones – "Kiss", "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "Ain't That A Lot of Love?" (with Joss Stone )
  15. Will Young – "Switch It On"
  16. Natasha Bedingfield – "Unwritten"
  17. Bryan Ferry – "Slave to Love", "Make You Feel My Love" and "Let's Stick Together"
  18. Anastacia – "Superstar"
  19. Connie Fisher and Andrea Ross – "Memory"
  20. Andrea Bocelli – "The Music of the Night"
  21. Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman – "All I Ask of You"
  22. Donny Osmond , Jason Donovan , Lee Mead and Chickenshed – "Any Dream Will Do"
  23. Rod Stewart – "Maggie May", "Baby Jane" and "Sailing"
  24. Kanye West – "Gold Digger", " Touch the Sky", "Stronger", "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and "Jesus Walks"
  25. P. Diddy – "I'll Be Missing You"
  26. Take That – "Shine", "Patience" and "Back for Good"
  27. Ricky Gervais – "Freelove Freeway" (with Mackenzie Crook), "Chubby Little Loser"
  28. Elton John – "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" "Tiny Dancer" "Are You Ready For Love"
  1. Prince William and Prince Harry
  2. Sienna Miller and Dennis Hopper
  3. Kiefer Sutherland
  4. Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson
  5. Natasha Kaplinsky
  6. Dennis Hopper
  7. Fearne Cotton
  8. Gillian Anderson
  9. Boris Becker and John McEnroe
  10. Tony Blair
  11. Cat Deeley
  12. Patsy Kensit
  13. Jamie Oliver
  14. David Beckham
  15. Ben Stiller
  16. Ricky Gervais
  17. Prince William and Prince Harry
  18. Nelson Mandela

Attendees

Diana's former husband King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) was not among the spectators. Together with the Queen, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair, he was among the guests at the memorial service on 31 August 2007 in the Guards Chapel. [12]

Broadcasting

The concert was broadcast in 140 countries. Jamie Theakston, Fearne Cotton and Claudia Winkleman presented for the BBC and many other television channels across the world. In the United States, VH1's coverage was presented by Aamer Haleem, Kate Thornton and Dave Berry.

Australia

Foxtel on FOX8 in Australia, which was hosted by Molly Meldrum (with a highlights package broadcast by the Nine Network).

Canada

In Canada, the concert was broadcast live on CTV with a two-hour primetime special highlighting the best performances. The concert reached 2.8 million viewers and the primetime recap peaked at nearly 1 million viewers. [13]

Italy

Unlike other international events, the Concert for Diana wasn't broadcast by RAI. The live feed was aired by satellite broadcaster Sky Italia on its Sky Vivo channel from 17:00 to 23:00. The concert was also broadcast on commercial radio by RTL 102.5.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the concert was broadcast on BBC One, BBC HD and BBC Radio 2. [14]

The concert was watched by an average of 8.9 million viewers, and peaked with 14.8 million. Over the 8-hour period it had a 44% viewing share. [15] It received considerably more viewers than the Live Earth concert which was broadcast a week later. [16]

United States

In the US, MTV Live and VH1 broadcast the concert live from 11 am (EDT). The concert drew near double the viewing figures for the 2005 Live 8 concert with 1.4 million average over the 8 hours. [17]

NBC broadcast a highlights show between 8 pm-11 pm EDT. The NBC showing was the US most watched programme, averaging 8.7 million viewers. [18]

Other countries

VH1 Latin America broadcast the concert in Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America.

DStv carried it in Africa by showing it on a dedicated channel for the event. Prior to the concert there were television specials on the channel. Star TV throughout Asia, except Japan where it was shown by WOWOW.

A number of broadcasters showed the concert in Europe. Some countries saw the entire show live, others had only highlights. In Germany the broadcaster RTL II showed the highlights from 8.15 pm- 12.15 am CEST

Ricky Gervais

As with many live televised events, the Concert for Diana had a few technical problems, the most infamous of which occurred during comedian Ricky Gervais's monologue, before Elton John's musical finale. As a planned seven-minute routine became twelve minutes, viewers saw a nervous Gervais being forced to fill time, as a stagehand held up signs saying 'two minutes', then 'one minute'. Gervais performed a rendition of a song that David Bowie performed on his show Extras before finally being told to 'throw to the BBC' and presenters Claudia Winkleman and Jamie Theakston. During the extended piece, he performed his iconic "dance" from The Office .

Charities

All net proceeds from the Concert went to the charities chosen by Princes William and Harry. [19] These charities include Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, Centrepoint and Sentebale, a charity founded in April 2006, by Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso. It helps vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho – particularly those orphaned as a result of AIDS. [20]

During the airing of the concert, Diana was hailed for her generous charity work with the Chain of Hope, Luton Indoor Bowling Club, and British Deaf Association charities. She was also celebrated for her work with the British Red Cross in helping get the word out on land mines in Angola.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex</span> Member of the British royal family (born 1984)

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana, Princess of Wales</span> Member of the British royal family (1961–1997)

Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her activism and glamour, which made her an international icon, earned her enduring popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William, Prince of Wales</span> Heir apparent to the British throne (born 1982)

William, Prince of Wales, is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund</span>

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was an independent grant-giving foundation established in September 1997 after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, to continue her humanitarian work in the United Kingdom and overseas. It was a registered charity under English law. The Fund closed at the end of 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington Palace</span> Residence of the British royal family in London

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons. Kensington Palace is sometimes used as a metonym for the offices of royals who officially reside there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine, Princess of Wales</span> Member of the British royal family (born 1982)

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.

VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert in 1998. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts were a follow-up to the channel's annual VH1 Honors benefit concert that ran from 1994 to 1997, airing annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five-year hiatus, the series returned in 2009 with a younger-skewed revamp. In 2010 the concert saluted the troops and in 2011 it celebrated soul music, doubling the previous year's ratings. After a dance music-focused 2012 edition aired live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 16, 2012, the show took another hiatus before being revived on December 5, 2016, at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York with a holiday theme and achieved its highest ratings in over a decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Diana, Princess of Wales</span> 1997 fatal car crash involving Diana, Princess of Wales

During the early hours of 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died from injuries sustained earlier that night in a fatal car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Diana's partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were found dead inside the car. Dodi's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was seriously injured but was the only survivor of the crash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elton John</span> British singer, composer and pianist (born 1947)

Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s and for his lasting impact on the music industry, his music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale is one of the two older sisters of Diana, Princess of Wales, the other being Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes.

Sentebale is a registered charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Sentebale helps children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV and AIDS diagnosis. It provides a safe environment for them to address their mental health among their peers, giving them tools and knowledge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales</span> 1997 funeral ceremony in London

The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, started on Saturday 6 September 1997 at 9:08 am in London, when the tenor bell of Westminster Abbey started tolling to signal the departure of the cortège from Kensington Palace. The coffin was carried from the palace on a gun carriage by riders of the King's Troop and escorted by mounted police along Hyde Park to St James's Palace, where Diana's body had remained for five days before being taken to Kensington Palace. The Union Flag on top of the palace was lowered to half mast. The official ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in London and finished at the resting place in Althorp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton</span> 2011 British royal wedding

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. William was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer</span> Wedding dress of the future Princess of Wales

Lady Diana Spencer's bridal gown was an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot (7.6 m) train and a 153 yards (140 m) tulle veil, valued then at £9,000. It was worn at Diana's wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales in 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral. It became one of the most famous dresses in the world, and was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Foundation</span> Independent United Kingdom-based charity

The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales is an independent United Kingdom-based charity which supports the non-profit work of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their projects revolve around conservation, environmental issues, early childhood development, mental health, emergency services, and homelessness.

Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy is a 2017 documentary film broadcast in the United Kingdom by ITV on 24 July 2017 and the United States by HBO on 24 July 2017. It will also air on Seven Network in Australia, CBC in Canada, Three in New Zealand, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland and TV2 in Denmark. It aired on 20 August 2017 on CBC News Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle</span> 2018 British royal wedding

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The groom is a member of the British royal family; the bride is American and previously worked as an actress, blogger, charity ambassador, and advocate. On the morning of the wedding, Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, conferred upon him the titles of Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. Upon her marriage, Markle became a princess of the United Kingdom and gained the style Her Royal Highness and titles Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated at the wedding using the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony published in Common Worship, a liturgical text of the Church of England. The traditional ceremony was noted for the inclusion of African-American culture.

References

  1. ↑ "What is the Concert for Diana?". BBC. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kanye West, Rod Stewart to perform at Diana concert Archived 11 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". ABC News. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  3. ↑ "Pop stars pay tribute to Princess Diana Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine ". Yahoo News. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  4. ↑ "Sir Elton launches Diana concert Archived 13 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine ". BBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  5. ↑ "The sons & the stars". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  6. ↑ Old and new stars celebrate Diana Archived 9 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine BBC. Retrieved 16 July 2011
  7. 1 2 3 "Concert for Diana - What happened minute by minute". BBC News. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Princess Diana Concert loses top acts to Live Earth Archived 4 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Starpulse blog
  9. ↑ "William Invites Kate To The Concert For Diana Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". The Royal List.
  10. ↑ "Brian May turns down Concert for Diana Archived 1 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". brianmay.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Princes open Wembley Diana concert with joke". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Princes lead Diana memorial service tributes". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Concert for Diana reaches 3million Canadians Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Channel Canada. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  14. ↑ "Concert for Diana". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "Live Earth no match for Diana or Venus Archived 11 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  16. ↑ "The Earth didn't move for BBC1 Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Broadcast Now. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  17. ↑ "Diana Boosts VH1 ratings [ permanent dead link ]". Yahoo!. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  18. ↑ "Diana Concert attracts most viewers Archived 7 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  19. ↑ "Charity Archived 17 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Charity.
  20. ↑ "Sentebale Archived 17 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine ". Sentebale.

51°33′22″N0°16′47″W / 51.55601°N 0.27963°W / 51.55601; -0.27963

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.