Denise Donlon, Live 8 Canada organizer, releases details of the concert. Gerry Barr from Make Poverty History Canada explains the purpose for the latest Live 8 concerts on Tuesday.

Barrie, Ont. to host Canadian edition of Live 8

Updated Tue. Jun. 21 2005 8:04 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

It's official: music fans can set their sights on the 80-hectare park in Barrie, Ont., that organizers have finally confirmed will host the Live 8 Canada concert on July 2.

Concert promoter Michael Cohl officially declared Barrie's Park Place, formerly Molson Park, as the Live 8 Canada venue at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

"My best way of describing it is slightly north of Toronto, and in most Torontonians' minds it's slightly south of Barrie," Cohl quipped for reporters in Toronto.

"It's slightly west of Ottawa, and slightly east of Whistler -- where we started out thinking about having it."

In the hours before the official word was issued, there was speculation the final choice was between Park Place and Toronto's Downsview Park. But a heavy cloak of secrecy managed to keep the final choice out of the headlines.

The veil was unofficially lifted late Monday afternoon, however, when a bulletin posted on Blue Rodeo's official website invited fans to join them in Barrie on July 2.

"Blue Rodeo has been confirmed for the Live 8 concert at Barrie's Molson Park," the statement said, exhorting fans to, "Stay tuned for more details."

Responding Tuesday to official confirmation his city won't be hosting the concert, Toronto Mayor David Miller issued a statement outlining his disappointment and wishing Barrie luck with the event.

Canuck comedians Dan Aykroyd and Tom Green will host an all-star slate that includes The Tragically Hip and Bryan Adams.

By omission, organizers confirmed that the Rolling Stones won't be giving their fans any satisfaction that day.

There are plenty of other fan favourites on the bill, however, including The Barenaked Ladies, Jann Arden, Bruce Cockburn, Tom Cochrane, Gordon Lightfoot, and Great Big Sea.

Superstar chanteuse Celine Dion will even make a special appearance, Cohl said, "live by satellite."

Other acts slated to perform at the all-day concert include Bruce Cockburn, Les Trois Accords, African Guitar Summit and DobaCaracol.

Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan, Bachman Cummings Band, Deep Purple and Motley Crue will also take to the stage.

Free Tickets

The performances will get underway around 11 a.m., Cohl said.

Free tickets for the event will be available from Ticketmaster on Thursday morning, he added, explaining that individuals are limited to two tickets each. To claim their tickets, Cohl explained, would-be concert-goers will have to answer the quiz question:

According to Live 8 and Make Poverty History, what can the G8 leaders do to help make poverty history?

1. Increase foreign aid
2. Cancel the debt of poor countries
3. Make trade rules fair for the poor
4. All of the above

"We'll only have winners, no losers," the promoter promised, estimating that the venue can accommodate approximately 35,000 fans.

For those who can't make it to the show, the entire Canadian edition will be broadcast live on CTV. Highlights from the concerts around the world will also be part of the unprecedented 12-hour broadcast scheduled to end in a primetime special of the day's highlights.

International campaign

Bob Geldof's international awareness-raising effort will see simultaneous free concerts held in cities around the world.

In addition to the Toronto area, music fans are expected to cram venues in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome and Tokyo.

Artists expected to take the stage in London include Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Sting and Robbie Williams.

The Philadelphia lineup includes Sarah McLachlan, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z.

In Rome, Faith Hill and Duran Duran are expected to take the stage while Jamiroquai, Craig David and Youssou N'Dour entertain music lovers in Paris.

A-Ha, Lauren Hill and Brian Wilson will perform in Berlin.

Other artists expected to participate in the events include Madonna, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, U2 and REM.

Then, on July 6, another all-star lineup will entertain approximately 60,000 fans at a massive concert in Edinburgh. Geldof has also called for a million people to gather in the Scottish capital that day for a massive anti-poverty rally.

All the free concerts are intended to raise awareness, not money, about the plight of the impoverished in Africa.

"We don't want people's money. We want them," Geldof said when he announced the ambitious scheme late last month.

According to the knighted organizer of the 1985 Live Aid benefit for African famine relief, the concerts are intended to put the spotlight on world poverty just before leaders of the world's richest nations meet in Scotland.

G-8 leaders are meeting in Gleneagles from July 6 to 8.