VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World brought together some of the biggest names from around the world for a good cause, and great entertainment!
The Global Citizen concert — which was pre-taped last weekend at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and aired on Saturday — was put on to celebrate the hope that COVID-19 vaccines are offering families and communities around the world. Throughout the concert, celebrities and public figures gave thanks to the frontline heroes (in the audience and around the world) who put their lives on the line amid the coronavirus pandemic. They also raised awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated, and asked world leaders to step up in making sure vaccines are accessible for all.
Now, ET’s breaking down all the best moments from the star-studded show, including must-see speeches from campaign chairs Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, along with appearances and performances from special guests that kept us entertained from beginning to end.
While the Duchess of Sussex did not attend the benefit event in person, she sent in a video that aired during Saturday’s broadcast. “The past year has been defined by communities coming together tirelessly and heroically to tackle COVID-19. And we’ve gathered tonight because the road ahead is getting brighter, but it’s going to take every one of us to find our way forward,” said Meghan, who is pregnant with her and Harry’s second child, a baby girl. “As campaign chairs of VAX LIVE, my husband and I believe it’s critical that our recovery prioritizes the health, safety and success of everyone, and particularly women who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic. Women, and especially women of color, have seen a generation of economic gain wiped out. Since the pandemic began, nearly 5.5 million women have lost work in the U.S., and 47 million more women around the world are expected to slip into extreme poverty.”
“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,” she continued. “When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and support to lead us forward. Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up, and to set all of us up, for a successful, equitable and compassionate tomorrow. We want to make sure that as we recover, we recover stronger; that as we rebuild, we rebuild together.”
PRINCE HARRY THANKS FRONTLINE HEROES
Out of all the guests that attended the benefit concert in person, no one received quite the applause as Prince Harry! When the Duke of Sussex walked onstage to deliver his first speech, the entire audience rose to their feet, cheering loudly and clapping before he even said a word.
“Hi, everybody. We are at a defining moment in the global fight against COVID-19. Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world,” Harry told the crowd. “You spent the last year battling courageously and selflessly to protect us all. You’ve served and sacrificed, put yourselves in harm’s way and acted with bravery, knowing the costs. We owe you an incredible debt of gratitude. Thank you.”
“But we’re also coming together because this pandemic will not end unless we act collectively with an unprecedented commitment to our shared humanity. The vaccine must be distributed to everyone, everywhere. We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world,” he added. “The mission in front of us is one we cannot afford to fail out and that’s what tonight is about. The virus does not respect borders, and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography. It must be accepted as a basic right for all and that is our starting point.
