Pathway To Paris is a concert that coincides with the Global Climate Action Summit, bringing together high-profile musicians, artists, activists, politicians, and other public figures to advocate for cities to work to address climate change. The event takes its name from the Paris Agreement, a global agreement secured by the U.N. that encourage countries to mitigate their greenhouse-gas emissions, and seeks to encourage cities to meet and exceed the Paris Agreement’s climate targets.
On September 14th, the fourth-annual Pathway To Paris concert will be held at San Francisco’s Masonic. Heading the lineup is Patti Smith, the famed singer-songwriter and poet whose daughter, Jesse Parris Smith, co-founded the event with Rebecca Foon (both of whom will also appear during the show). Also headlining is Bob Weir, the famed Grateful Dead guitarist, and Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Other musicians on the bill include Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Eric Burdon, formerly of War and The Animals, Tibetan musician and activist Tenzin Choegyla, and French pop-soul singer Imany.
In addition to the musical performances, Icelandic visual artist Olafur Eliasson has created a special interactive piece for Pathway to Paris, which will engage the audience in a collaborative work of art. As noted in a press release, “Artist Olafur Eliasson will turn the whole audience into artists by creating an interactive collective artwork. Eliasson leads a choreography that motions its audience to hold up a Little Sun solar lantern. The result is a visually striking solar-powered ‘sunrise’ which raises awareness for climate action and energy equality.”
As noted by Jesse Paris Smith,
In the world of music, the best way to improve is through collaboration. This is the same with the critical issue of climate change. We must join together to make this the most ambitious collaboration of our century. We will not be able to implement crucial and challenging solutions to climate change, plastic pollution, and all urgent environmental problems as long as we stand divided. Inseparable from the issue of climate change is the need for world peace, global communication, and an international collaboration unmatched by any event in human history.
All proceeds from the fourth-annual Pathway to Paris concert will be donated to 350.org, Pathway to Paris, and the United Nations Development Programme. Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 13th, at 10 a.m. (PT) via LiveNation.com, with tickets also available via all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone. For more information, head here.
