Artists for Aid: Reflecting on a night of remembering

“From Sudan to Palestine, to the Indigenous of this country, to the displaced in el-Fasher, in Rafah—all of our suffering is connected, all of our searching for home is connected. We are each, each other’s magnitude and bond.” A powerful statement echoed by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal at Artists For Aid Los Angeles, where Pascal, alongside Palestinian-American supermodel and Dazed MENA cover star Bella Hadid, co-hosted. Artists for Aid is a benefit concert raising aid and unifying in solidarity for Sudan and Palestine amidst genocide. Organised by Sudanese-Canadian artist Mustafa, the third iteration of the charity show gathered friends and the community together to fundraise humanitarian relief at the Shrine Auditorium of Los Angeles on January 10, 2026. 

The stage greeted its audience with red, intricate rugs and majlis seating under dimly lit lamps. Outside, there was signage and QR codes to donate to the event’s charity partners, The Sudanese American Physicians Association and The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, whose proceeds were equally split. As announced by host Pedro Pascal during the show and Mustafa via his Instagram, Artists For Aid raised $5.5 million through its efforts. In addition to ticket sales and direct donations, the merchandise booth sold exclusive pieces designed in collaboration with Martine Rose, with all proceeds going towards the fundraiser. The garments adorned with red, black, white, and green—a sweet touch in remembrance of Sudan and Palestine. 

Mustafa opened the night powerfully, conveying, “I always knew an artist’s power came from the expansion of their empathy. Each artist here today—that answered my call, that answered my text—are all heroes of empathy,” With an eclectic lineup of names ranging from: Clairo, Omar Apollo, Daniel Caesar, Blood Orange, Raphael Saadiq, Jazmine Sullivan, Snoh Aalegra, Tamino, and many more, the concert proved to be an intimate and instrumental call to collective action, presence, and as co-host Bella Hadid put it, “remembering.”

During the introduction, co-host Hadid emphasised the intention of solidarity and support for Sudan and Palestine, “Families are living through unimaginable loss, displacement, hunger, violence. Tonight, we attempt to shield them from genocide, working to erase them. Even remembering is a protest.” With Pedro Pascal emphasising, “State violence anywhere is a threat to us all. Once you see it, it’s impossible to look away.”

Artists for Aid immersed the audience in four hours of selection and stillness, like a long-burning candle. The space was a warm, ambient, and soulful soundscape, where artists performed acoustic, stripped-down sets. From Jazmine Sullivan covering Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” Snoh Aalegra’s “DO 4 LOVE,” and Raphael Saadiq’s “Sinner’s Prayer,” each act from the bill was ceremonial, an offering that was felt so deeply throughout the auditorium. The room both listened intently and vibrated, singing alongside Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” and Omar Apollo’s “Evergreen” and applauding moving sentiments. When Bella Hadid shared her family’s background, “my father was born in Nazareth, Palestine,” after a pause, she repeated Palestine four times, and the auditorium loudly cheered at that poetic affirmation. As the event progressed, each act introduced the next while friends, family and other performers were seated on the majlis surrounding the carpeted stage throughout the sets. Two of the abundant gestures of togetherness that moved throughout the evening. 

“I am thinking lately of the heartbreak of trees. 26 years after Nakba, my great-grandmother wished to know the mulberry tree that she planted. Did it grow?” said Palestinian-American poet Noor Hindi, performing poetry on stage, followed by Sudanese-American poet Safia Elhillo. Their graceful pieces were soundtracked by none other than Dev Hynes, fka Blood Orange. “I am who made it out alive. A world away from the bullets slanting through broken shutters like terrible sunlight,” Elhillo narrates. The imagery and experience from their poems harmonised with the lineup of musicians, a soft message of protest and hope. After a surprise appearance by Chappell Roan singing alongside Lucy Dacus, the evening closed out with a special performance by Daniel Caesar.  

That call, as Mustafa described in his opening, was profoundly answered. Gathering a range of his friends to share the stage, performing alongside Blood Orange for “Vivid Light” and Daniel Caesar for “Toronto 2014,” and every intentional fragment in between, Mustafa’s call left a meditative and meaningful impact—through feeling and through the funds raised. Following the show, he announced on his Instagram story that a limited-edition zine is also on its way.  

From the stage design, anecdotal moments, and tender performances to sitting under the architectural notes of the Los Angeles venue of rooftop domes, crescent moons, and palm trees—the Shrine’s nod to Moorish Revival architecture—Artists for Aid served as an intergenerational reminder of home. Home as a memory, a prayer, and a right.