Artists including Sugababes, Wolf Alice, Romy, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Christine and the Queens, Beth Ditto, Beverley Knight, Jasmine.4.T, Kae Tempest and more will perform at an all-star charity concert at Wembley Arena in support of trans rights next year.
Organised by Olly Alexander and the Mighty Hoopla festival, Trans Mission will also feature appearances from figures including Green party leader Zack Polanski, actor Ian McKellen, comedian Grace Campbell, author Shon Faye, actor Mawaan Rizwan, model Munroe Bergdorf and actor Nicola Coughlan.
The concert will raise funds for the Good Law Project, a charity that uses the law to push for change and government accountability, and trans-led charity Not a Phase.
Alexander said in a statement: “I believe that in these times, community action isn’t just important – it’s essential! We need real and lasting change. Through solidarity, creativity and collective fundraising, we can fight back against the politics of fear and exclusion and build a world where everyone can thrive.
“I am very fortunate to know and work closely alongside incredible trans and non-binary people whose creativity and presence are essential to the cultural fabric we all share. Trans Mission is going to be a special and unforgettable night, and I’m excited to share the stage with so many wonderful people I hugely admire.”
Organisers said the show was in response to rising hate crimes and discrimination against trans people, particularly after the UK supreme court’s ruling on biological sex and the subsequent interim advice of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Glyn Fussell and Jamie Tagg, co-founders of the Mighty Hoopla festival, said the event had been a long time coming, and that they sought to “not only fundraise but also publicly stand with the trans community who are under daily attack. It is time we came together, got organised and unite to fight back against the hate. This is about allyship, empathy and holding up those we love.”
Jo Maugham, founder of the Good Law Project, said: “To be trans is to celebrate the infinite possibility of the human condition – this amazing lineup is testimony to [trans artists’] creative genius. And as the old world tries to force trans people back into tired social constructs, Good Law Project could not be more proud to fight for, and with, the new.”
The concert will take place at the OVO Arena Wembley on 11 March. Tickets go on sale from 10am GMT on 2 December from £28.50.
The lineup in full
Adam Lambert
Beth Ditto
Bimini
Beverley Knight
Christine and the Queens
Fat Tony
GottMikk
HAAi
Jasmine.4.T
Kae Tempest
Kate Nash
MNEK
Olly Alexander
Romy
Sink the Pink
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sugababes
Tom Grennan
Tom Rasmussen
Trans Voices
Wolf Alice
With additional appearances from
Dani St James
Grace Campbell
Harriet Rose
Ian McKellen
Jack Rooke
Jayde Adams
Jo Maugham
Jordan Stephens
Juno Birch
Juno Dawson
Kadiff Kirwan
Layton Williams
Mawaan Rizwan
Munroe Bergdorf
Nicola Coughlan
Russell Tovey
Shon Faye
Tia Kofi
Tiara Skye
Zack Polanski
