Vax Live concert: Meghan Markle gives first TV appearance after Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters and more perform
Fundraiser was designed to ‘reunite the world’ following the pandemic
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Your support makes all the difference.Vax Live, a concert designed to “reunite the world” after the coronavirus pandemic, aired on Saturday (8 May) after taking place last weekend.
The pre-taped event brought together celebrities and political leaders, including President Joe Biden, Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez and Foo Fighters. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman also served as guest speakers during the event staged at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Global Citizen, an action group seeking to “end extreme poverty by 2030”, was behind the show, which doubled as a fundraiser for the organisation.
Lopez opened the evening with a moving rendition of “Sweet Caroline”, welcoming her mother Guadalupe Rodríguez onto the stage. Rodríguez sang her own version of the Neil Diamond classic, changing the lyrics to “Sweet Jennifer” – as she used to do when Lopez was a child.
Eddie Vedder provided another of the evening’s highlights, in an energetic set introduced by Sean Penn.
In a guest appearance, Olivia Munn discussed the rise of hate crimes targeting Asian American people amid the pandemic. Several of the evening’s speakers stressed the importance for countries not to stockpile doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, sharing it instead with nations which need it.
Prince Harry appeared onstage on two different occasions during the show. He and Meghan Markle acted as campaign chairs for the event, promoting vaccine access equality and voicing their support for vaccination efforts. Meghan couldn’t attend the event in person, presumably because she’s currently pregnant with her second child, but she contributed a pre-recorded video message which aired during the broadcast.
“As campaign chairs of Vax Live, my husband and I believe it's critical that our recovery prioritises the health, safety and success of everyone – and particularly women, who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic,” she said in her remarks, which marked her first TV appearance since she and Harry spoke with Oprah Winfrey for a headline-making interview which aired in March.
She added: “My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.”
Foo Fighters delivered the longest set of the evening and were joined by AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for a rendition of “Back in Black”. Dave Grohl and his band mates, like the rest of the acts at Vax Live, seemed visibly thrilled to be back on stage, and gave an energetic, thrilling performance.
Follow the event as it happened with our live blog:
Mild spoiler alert, but if you want to get a taste of most the exciting things to come during tonight’s show, you can read our writer Kevin EG Perry’s review right here. I, for one, am very much looking forward to Jennifer Lopez’s performance with her mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez:
Foo Fighters team up with AC/DC singer to rock Vax Live – but J Lo’s mum steals the show
Prince Harry’s in-person appearance scored the biggest spontaneous standing ovation of an event that marked a return to some familiarity
Looking at photos of the pre-recorded event without having seen the broadcast (yet) makes for a fun guessing game. What’s the story behind Jimmy Kimmel’s costume? What’s David Letterman telling the crowd? And is there truly no limit to Jennifer Lopez’s fabulousness?
And the show begins with a pre-recorded skit, Oscars-style, featuring The Try Guys. After the pre-recorded segment, they are seen stepping onto the stage during the actual event, and judging by the crowd’s cheers, everyone is VERY HAPPY to be at a concert for the first time in months.
Wooo Jennifer Lopez is the first on stage! She tells the crowd she’s going to sing “Sweet Caroline”, which her mother sang to her when she was a child. And look at that flowery stage!
Having been to many weddings, I have heard MANY covers of “Sweet Caroline”, and let me tell you Jennifer Lopez’s version is absolutely amazing.
Aaaw Jennifer Lopez’s mother is here! Guadalupe Rodriguez sings her own version, with the lyrics “Sweet Jennifer” as a tribute to her daughter. I’m not tearing up, you’re tearing up!
It’s time for Prince Harry’s address! He thanks the vaccinated frontline workers watching as part of the live audience, and says the Covid-19 vaccine “must be distributed to everyone, everywhere”, stressing the need for it to be distributed fairly “in every corner of the world”.
We hear from actor Amitabh Bachchan, who makes an appeal for pharmaceutical companies to support India as the country faces a devastating second wave of Covid-19.
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