Live Aid-style charity concert is set to be held at Auckland's Eden Park

Wednesday, 6 June 2018

Sir Ray Avery led the announcement at Eden Park Stadium on Wednesday.

Prominent philanthropist Sir Ray Avery will host a Live Aid-style concert to in the hopes of saving the lives of millions of babies around the world.

The 'Heartbeats Concert' is set to take place at Auckland's Eden Park on Waitangi day 2019 - and will be headlined by a 'globally renowned artist'.

Eden Park is set to host the concert, if council resource consent is granted.

Speaking to media from the stadium's stands on Wednesday, Avery said the artist had been penciled in, but exactly who it was wouldn't be announced for another two months.

The former New Zealander of the year, who had teamed up with the Eden Park Trust, said the only thing holding them back was getting council approval.

Eden Park Trust Chief Executive Nick Sautner said he couldn't wait to help bring the event to life.

The LifePods were designed to provide care and support for premature babies.

* Ray Avery: New Zealander of the Year

* LifePod receives new Unitec designed noise-cancelling technology**

Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium, located in central Auckland.

Together they had applied for resource consent and were awaiting the results.

Eden Park Trust Chief Executive Nick Sautner said Kiwis could help show their support through the council's website following its notification in the coming weeks.

'If any of our neighbours or nearby residents have concerns about this fantastic LifePod Appeal, we urge you to make contact with Eden Park. We will meet with you to discuss how we can work together to make this vision a reality for New Zealand and the world.'

He said once consent had been granted, the headline act would be revealed.

'The artist is of a genre that is going to be very conducive to many a people within the area, but also in New Zealand.'

They hoped the proceeds from the event, which would include a broadcasted telethon, would secure much-needed funding of $4 million to produce 2,000 LifePods.

LifePods, an invention of Avery's, are a bubble shaped incubator designed to provide care for premature babies, and can produced at a fraction of the price of alternatives.

'This is an opportunity to present New Zealand technology and our big-hearted efforts to the world stage by bringing an iconic international artist to our country and showcasing our own local Kiwi acts, which is invaluable.'

Each incubator funded through the event will bear the message 'A gift from the People of New Zealand' and would be shipped to lesser developed countries where the need is greatest.

Avery said he got the idea for the Live Aid-style fundraising concert after meeting Sir Bob Geldolf in New Zealand.

Geldolf hosted a Live Aid event that was a dual-venue benefit concert held in 1985 to raise funds for relief of Ethiopian famine.