Earth Day 50: Johnny Depp, Patti Smith and Michael Stipe to star in climate concert live-stream

Virtual concert will feature climate activist Bill McKibben, Flea, Ben Harper, Rain Phoenix and Nikolai Fraiture

A livestream festival to mark 50 years of Earth Day will take place featuring a line-up including Patti Smith, Johnny Depp, Michael Stipe and Cat Power.

The online concert is being hosted on 26 April by non-profit, Pathway to Paris, on Instagram from 9pm (4pm EST) on Sunday.

Pathway to Paris Earth Day 50: A Virtual Festival to Our Planet also features climate activist Bill McKibben, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ben Harper, Rain Phoenix and Nikolai Fraiture of the Strokes.

The event was put together by Jesse Paris Smith, musician and daughter of Patti Smith, and musician Rebecca Foon.

Patti Smith shared a message with her Instagram followers on Thursday: “This is an announcement for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this Sunday live on Instagram, joined by friends and colleagues from their places of isolation. Updates on the schedule will be posted tomorrow @pathway2paris. See you then, blooming together from afar.”

Pathway to Paris is raising funds from the event to fight the climate change crisis.

In a message on Instagram, the organisers of he event, which references the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, wrote: “Climate change is a global concern, and we have seen with Covid-19 what can happen when the world truly works together to come up with solutions in a time of crisis. Let’s treat the climate situation with that same urgency and passion.

“Let’s not go back to the world as it was. Instead, let’s move into the future with a renewed vision of how we want to live. Let’s do this not only for our children and future generations, but for each other, here today. For our neighbours, friends, and family, for the animals and trees, for every living being and species on this Earth.”