Kering Group and Labels Back Mika’s Lebanon Benefit Concert

GROUP SUPPORT: Kering and its stable of high-end fashion and accessories labels, including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, are backing a benefit concert organized by Mika to support Lebanon, following the explosion that rocked the country’s capital last month.

The “I Love Beirut” concert will be livestreamed on Sept. 19, at 9 p.m., Central European time, and profits will go to the Lebanese Red Cross and Save the Children Lebanon.

Tickets will be sold on Ticketmaster and a fund-raising campaign will be run in parallel through GoFundMe.

The French-Lebanese singer will be joined by Laura Pausini, Kylie Minogue, Rufus Wainwright, Louane, Salma Hayek, Danna Paola, Fanny Ardant and Lebanese-American poet and visual artist Etel Adnan.

The explosion in Beirut’s port hit the country at a time when it was already suffering from a deep economic and political crisis, with soaring consumer prices and a plummeting currency. A series of anti-government protests had erupted before the coronavirus lockdowns.

Kering and its various brands have been active this spring, making donations to organizations fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., France, Italy and China. Brands under the Kering umbrella include Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux and Kering Eyewear.

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