Dua Lipa and Robbie Williams lined up for Live Aid style charity concert alongside world’s biggest music stars
IT was the massive Knebworth gig that helped fund the creation of the Brit School, which has produced stars including Adele and Amy Winehouse.
Now I can reveal there are plans for another mammoth show to replicate that 1990 Silver Clef Winners concert.
The original charity gig saw music icons Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and Sir Paul McCartney take to the stage in front of more than 120,000 fans.
Profits from the show helped set up the Brit School and the Nordoff and Robbins music therapy centre a year later.
The new concert is scheduled for 2026, which will mark 50 years of the Silver Clef awards — and is a year that Glastonbury takes a break.
I’ve been told that Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Sir Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith are going to be asked to take part.
Nordoff and Robbins CEO Sandra Schembri told me: “We are talking to all the people that love us and we are seeing what might be possible.
“We have someone who is working out who, where and what is possible, who would be willing to come back and who would be willing to support us.
“When we did Knebworth, there was not a penny to raise.
“Sometimes, when you work with artists, the artists will do it for free. There is always the production costs and all the get up, but with Knebworth, they paid for everything.
“The artists laid back on all their costs. We were very lucky.”
She added: “Knebworth 2026 would be great as that is how we and The Brit School got our centres.
“About £6million was raised — £3million bought us our Nordoff and Robbins London centre. I think it is Europe’s largest music therapy centre because of that concert.”
Asked if she would like to see the 1990 line-up return, Sandra said: “We would like every one of them.
“There will be 49 Silver Clef winners by the time we get to the gig.
“Some have passed away, like David Bowie, but it would be great to have as many as we can back. Can they help us get to the next generation?”
And revealing a Knebworth revamp could cost £2million, Sandra added: “If they chipped in again, that would be lovely, right?”
Given the incredible work Nordoff and Robbins do, I am sure artists will dig deep to help make this happen.