Bob Geldof announces details of Live 8

Bob Geldof has today announced details of the Live 8 global event.

Taking place on July 2, seperate concerts will be held simultaneously in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Philadelphia and broadcast live on television around the world.

Speaking at a press conference held in London earlier today, Geldof said the free concerts would raise awareness of world poverty and put pressure on leaders at the G8 Summit in Scotland.

The London event, which will be staged at Hyde Park, will include performances by Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Muse, Scissor Sisters, Sir Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Stings, Snoop Dogg, Snow Patrol, Robbie Williams, U2 and REM.

In Philadelphia, in an as-yet-unconfirmed venue, Will Smith, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z will be lending themselves to the cause.

In Paris, the Live 8 event will be held under the Eiffel Tower and will feature Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N'Dour and Yannick Noah among others, while in Berlin, at the Brandenburg Gate, performers will include A-Ha, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson. Confirmed performers for the Rome event, which will be held at the Circus Maximus, include Faith Hill and Duran Duran.

Geldof, who organized the Live Aid event to highlight the same cause 20 years ago, said "It seemed to me that we could gather again, not for charity but for political justice… The [African] continent in those 20 years has gone into economic decline by a factor of 25%… It couldn't be about charity any more. We knew too much."

Geldof spoke of the need "to do something unparalleled in the world, and especially at the beginning of the 21st Century, and that is to tilt the world a little bit on its axis in favour of the poor, and that's not a difficult thing to do".

Stay tuned to hotpress.com for more information on Live 8 as we get it.