Live8: A day the world will remember

Twenty years after Live Aid, musicians across the world will come together tomorrow to make a stand against world poverty. Louise Jury looks at the acts playing in London and elsewhere

ANNIE LENNOX

Aberdeen's finest, the former Eurythmics star turned Oscar-winning songstress (for Lord of the Rings), has the passion and the back catalogue to silence even the sternest Live8 critics

COLDPLAY

Frontman Chris Martin is a genuine campaigner with the bonus of producing blockbuster albums. Officially the most popular band in the world after the album went to number one in 22 countries

DIDO

Her songs may all sound the same, but her commitment cannot be doubted – she used the Make Poverty History banner on her website. No Angel, her debut, was the biggest selling album of 2001

ELTON JOHN

Admits he scarcely remembers Live Aid but has since formed his own Aids foundation and, after his performance at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, is now virtually a national treasure

JOSS STONE

On recent form, the Devon teenager is unlikely to be discussing the finer points of IMF policy tomorrow, but her surprising capacity to belt soul classics should go down a storm

KEANE

Nice boys, with nice songs that sell in nice quantities, are ideal fodder for family entertainment on the BBC. The Sussex trio seem content to proffer their brand of pop without being taken too seriously

THE KILLERS

After a storming set at Glastonbury, they should provide a buzz at Hyde Park. But they will need to make sure all of them are there – they left their guitarist at a service station last weekend

MADONNA

Queen of re-invention, the Kabbalah faith follower is a different performer from the cocky ingenue seen at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985. Look out for attempts at over-the-top scene-stealing

MARIAH CAREY

The American diva is famed more for her extravagant lifestyle than her dedication to the poor, but it is to be assumed she will forgo full-out pampering for a day in honour of a greater glory

MS DYNAMITE

Little seen since taking time out for motherhood, Live8 should be a major comeback for the north London rapper. A rare black British representative in the much-criticised, mainly white line-up

PAUL McCARTNEY

He may be cringe-makingly crass at times, but the credibility of a former Beatle can never entirely die. Expected to open proceedings with ''It was 20 years ago today", from Sgt Pepper.

PINK FLOYD

The epitome of what a goodwill cause can do, the band is reforming after years of vitriol since Roger Waters left. Fans will watch anxiously to see whether the rapprochement can last.

RAZORLIGHT

British/Swedish rising stars, NME's best new band of the year appear alongside the rock veterans despite a track record that stretches back only two years to their debut ''Up All Night''

REM

Stadium rockers par excellence, Michael Stipe and crew will bring 25 years of performing experience to Hyde Park. Will it be ''Shiny Happy People'' or ''Losing My Religion'' that wows the crowds?

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

With ''Angels'' a wedding day staple and his drunken antics apparently a thing of the past, he now inhabits the corridors of superstardom.Expect full audience participation

THE SCISSOR SISTERS

The New Yorkers – who were originally signed in the UK, not America – should bring oddball charm and sprightly boogying as an antidote to any outbreak of excessive worthiness

SNOOP DOGG

The Californian-born gangsta MC brings street cred to the proceedings. Though how anyone nicknamed from a Peanuts cartoon was ever regarded as having street cred remains a mystery

SNOW PATROL

Northern Ireland quartet formed in Dundee in their student days are more youngsters counter-balancing the original Live Aid generation. Mad if they don't perform their chart hit 'Run'

STEREOPHONICS

The Welsh representatives on the Live8 London stage, the band may be minus their original drummer Stuart Cable these days but should offer a reminder of popular pub-rock

STING

Another frontrunner in the worthy stakes, the former Police singer's natural campaigning habitat may be the Brazilian rainforests but should transfer readily to the rhetoric of making poverty history

TRAVIS

Hyde Park crowds will be hoping there is no meteorological justification for a rendition of their classic "Why does it always rain on me?" Also playing at the pre-G8 summit rally on Wednesday

U2

He lobbies the Prime Minister and the Pope, but Bono reverts to the day-job tomorrow, fronting arguably the biggest group touring today. After an early appearance, U2 will dash to Austria for a gig

UB40

Even with a politically charged name rooted in the "there is no such thing as society" heyday of Thatcherite Britain, they may seem a curious addition to the line-up, but the crowds won't care

VELVET REVOLVER

Operating at the heavier end of the rock spectrum, fans will be hoping the guitarist Slash is up for a spot of his Guns 'N' Roses glory days with 'Sweet Child O' Mine'

Africa calling

WHEN

1pm until 11pm

WHERE

Eden Project, Cornwall

ARTISTS PLAYING

Youssou N'Dour * Akim El Sikameya * Angelique Kidjo * Ayub Ogada * Chartwell Dutiro * Coco Mbassi * Daara J * Emmanuel Jal * Frititi * Geoffrey Oreyma * Mariza * Maryam Mursal * Modou Diouf * Rokia Traore * Shikisha * Siyaya * Tinariwen

More than 5,000 are expected to attend the event in front of the famous biospheres. Africa Calling was born out of the mounting criticism of the Live8 project for ignoring musicians from the continent.

Bob Geldof brought in Peter Gabriel, founder of Womad and the man perhaps most responsible for the developing interest in world music in Britain.

In a show compered by Johnny Kalsi of the Dhol Foundation, British audiences will be most familiar with Youssou N'Dour, who collaborated with Neneh Cherry on her 1995 hit "7 Seconds".

For artists such as west Africa's Rokia, Zimbabwe's arts collective Siyaya, and Kenya's Ayub Ogada – the eagle-eyed may have spotted him busking on the Northern Line – the concert will provide an introduction to a global television audience of hundreds of millions.

While Geldof may insist that US rappers such as Eminem and 50 Cent provide the new music of choice for the urban young in Africa, music fans of all persuasions will revel in this exhilarating line-up.

Events around the world

Barrie

WHEN

11am-8pm local time (4pm to 1am BST)

WHERE

Barrie is 100km north of Toronto. 150,000 fans are expected to attend

ARTISTS PLAYING

African Guitar Summit * Barenaked Ladies * Blue Rodeo * Bruce Cockburn *Bryan Adams* The Bachman Cummings Band * Deep Purple * DobaCaracol featuring Kna'an * Gordon Lightfoot * Great Big Sea * Jann Arden * Jet * Les Trois Accords * Mötley Crüe * Our Lady Peace * Run DMC * Sam Roberts * Simple Plan * Tegan & Sara * The Tragically Hip * Tom Cochrane

Berlin

WHEN

2pm to 8pm local time (1pm to 7pm BST)

WHERE

Some 250,000 Germans will be packing into Tiergarten, at the foot of the triumphal column the Siegessäule

ARTISTS PLAYING

Playing-A-ha * Audioslave * Bap * Brian Wilson * Chris de Burgh * Crosby Stills & Nash * Die Toten Hosen * Faithless * Green Day * Herbert Groenemeyer * Joana Zimmer * Juan Diego Florez * Juli * Katherine Jenkins * Reamonn * Renee Olstead * Roxy Music * Sasha * Silbermond * Soehne Mannheims * Wir Sind Helden

Johannesburg

WHEN

12pm-5.30pm local time (1pm to 6.30pm BST)

WHERE

Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, a redeveloped part of central Johannesburg, holding 40,000 people

ARTISTS PLAYING

4Peace Ensemble * Jabu Khanyile and Bayete * Lindiwe * Lucky Dube * Mahotella Queens * Malaika * Orchestre Baobab * Oumou Sengare * Vusi Mahlasela * Zola

Moscow

WHEN

7pm-10.30pm local time (4pm to 7.30pm BST)

WHERE

Between 50,000 and 200,000 fans will watch the concert in Red Square

ARTISTS PLAYING

Pet Shop Boys * Bravo * B-2 * Moral Code X * Spleen * Valery Sutkin

Paris

WHEN

4pm-10pm local time (3pm to 9pm BST)

WHERE

Some 220,000 French fans are expected to watch the concert in the spectacular surroundings of the Palais de Versailles

ARTISTS PLAYING

Andrea Bocelli * Amel Bent * Axelle Red * Calogero * Cerrone Nile Rogers * Craig David * The Cure * David Hallyday * Diam's * Dido * Disiz La Peste * Faudel * Florent Pagny * Kool Shen * Kyo * Louis Bertignac * Matt Copora * Muse * Placebo * Raphael * Shakira * Sheryl Crow * Tina Arena * Yannick Noah * Youssou N'Dour

Philadelphia

WHEN

12pm-6pm local time (5pm to 11pm BST)

WHERE

In the Museum of Art, with 250,000 expected to attend

ARTISTS PLAYING

Alicia Keys * Black Eyed Peas * Bon Jovi * Dave Matthews Band * Def Leppard * Destiny's Child * Jay-Z * Josh Groban * Kaiser Chiefs * Kanye West * Keith Urban * Linkin Park * Maroon 5 * P Diddy * Rita and Stephen Marley * Rob Thomas * Sarah McLachlan * Stevie Wonder * Toby Keith

Rome

WHEN

3pm-11pm local time (2pm to 10pm BST)

WHERE

250,000 expected at the Circus Maximus

ARTISTS PLAYING

Antonello Venditti * Articolo 31 * Biagio Antonacci * Claudio Baglioni * Duran Duran * Elisa * Faith Hill * Francesco De Gregori * Gemelli Diversi * Irene Grandi * Jovanotti * Laura Pausini * Le Vibrazioni * Luciano Ligabue * Max Pezzali * Negramaro * Negrita * Nek * Noa * Piero Pelu * Pino Daniele * Povia * Renato Zero * Tim McGraw * Tiromancino * Velvet

Tokyo

WHEN

2pm-10pm local time (7am to 3pm BST)

WHERE

Makuhari Messe Arena, Chiba, suburban Tokyo. 10,000 fans are expected to show up

ARTISTS PLAYING

Björk * Def Tech * Dreams Come True * Good Charlotte * McFly * Rize