A star-filled lineup of bands and singers will be on stages in nine countries July 7 for an extravaganza called Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis. The 24-hour music marathon is aimed at raising money, awareness and activism – extending the tradition of Live Aid, Farm Aid, Hurricane Katrina relief benefits and countless other fund-raising shows.

This 2007 version features more than 100 top music acts and an ambitious goal of inspiring a mass movement to combat climate change. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection and other international groups to move individuals, corporations and governments to reduce emissions from carbon-based fuels (coal and oil) that are blamed for global warming. Former Vice President Al Gore is chairman of the alliance.

Televised concerts on Saturday, July 7, begin in Sydney, Australia and continue in Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Johannesburg, South Africa; London, United Kingdom; Hamburg, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before concluding at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Police, Kanye West and Bon Jovi headline the U.S. show.
Audiences overseas will hear Madonna, Genesis, Foo Fighters, Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alicia Keys, Angelique Kidjo, Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Duran Duran, Enrique Iglesias, Faith Hill, Jennifer Lopez, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Linkin Park, Ludacris, Melissa Etheridge, Pussycat Dolls, Sarah Brightman, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, Smashing Pumpkins, Snoop Dogg, Baaba Maal and Tim McGraw.

Founder says: "This monster lineup will ensure Live Earth meets our goal of bringing together people from around the world to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth will not only span all seven continents, but the musicians who have answered our call span multiple genres and generations." – Kevin Wall, executive producer

Among the settings: The U.K. show is at Wembley National Stadium, a new soccer arena in London. Brazil’s is on Copacabana Beach in Rio, while the South African venue is a set of historic cave dwellings near the capital called the Cradle of Humankind. In Shanghai, Chinese fans will gather on the steps of the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Catch the music A three-hour NBC special starting at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) July 7 will feature highlights from foreign concerts and live performances from New Jersey. Telemundo will air a one-hour Spanish language special at 7 p.m. ET.
On cable TV, Sundance Channel and Universal HD will air the entire event, while Bravo will present live and taped coverage for 18 hours, starting at 8 a.m. ET. CNBC will feature seven hours of coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET.Concerts will be streamed live at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com. XM satellite radio will air each show on Channels 41-46.