Mexican promoter OCESA has announced plans to launch a new festival called Hera HSBC, exclusively featuring female talent.

The event is set to take place on 24 August at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack in Mexico City, with a mix of international and domestic artists.

Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Kesha, Tasha Sultana and Evanescence are set to perform at the two-stage event, which is expected to draw between 50,000 and 60,000 people.

Mexican singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana is also slated to perform, and has spearheaded the all-female industry committee driving the event.

Female technicians, promoters, audio engineers, managers, cultural managers and more specialists from the music industry and live shows will also participate in the first edition of Hera HSBC, according to OCESA.

“I think that for us it was also very important that the festival felt different, being such a unique festival in its creation and what it represents, it was very important that this sisterhood that exists between women was felt from the origin of the festival,” Sariñana told Billboard Español.

“The Hera Festival responds to the social moment we are experiencing in Mexico, and also responds to public demand”

Itzel González, promoter of the festival, added “The Hera Festival responds to the social moment we are experiencing in Mexico, and also responds to public demand. It is true that in the past girl bands were very striking, but they were very few. But now the number of female singers and of all regional genres, rock, pop, hip hop is tremendous! Since we designed this festival, there was talk that we wanted something very multi-genre, and that it would sound regional Mexican, trap, hip-hop, not just be governed by a genre like rock and pop.”

González went on to say a festival entirely carried out by women “will give a very good feeling to society” that there are changes, and that people have also been modifying their ideology around different issues. Mexico has been leading the way on feminist issues in Latin America, in recent years winning battles on issues such as the decriminalisation of abortion at the national level.

The Hera HSBC lineup also includes Danna Paola, Maria Becerra, Yahritza y Su Esencia, Bomba Estéreo, Ely Guerra, Daniela Spalla, Francisca Valenzuela and Ladytron.

Linda Perry, Hello Seahorse!, Rubio, Juliana, Kaia Lana, Las Villa, Lido Pimienta, Natalia Lacunza, Villano Antillano, Yami Safdie and the Regional Women’s Band Mujeres del Viento Florido are also featured.

OCESA, which is backed by Live Nation, recently announced the reopening of the 65,000-capacity Mexico’s Foro Sol (now GNP Seguros Stadium after renovation).

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Pop star Camila Cabello will headline this year’s UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony.

The Cuban-American singer will perform a five-minute medley from the Stade de France, Paris on Saturday 28 May, moments prior to Liverpool and Real Madrid battling it out for the biggest prize in European football.

Now in its sixth year, the Pepsi Max-presented opening ceremony has previously hosted acts such as Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons, Alicia Keys and Marshmello.

“Pepsi Max has been working with UEFA to build the opening ceremony platform since 2016 and we’re delighted to be returning to live stadium shows and bringing Camila Cabello to the stage this year,” says Pepsi’s global marketing VP Eric Melis. “Pepsi Max has a long and rich heritage in entertainment and this year’s show will not disappoint as we bring elements of Camila’s Latina spirit to one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.”

“These events always provide the ultimate cross-pollination of sport and music”

This year’s opening ceremony performance will air in more than 200 countries and territories around the world, with fans able to tune in via their local broadcaster and through the official UEFA TikTok and YouTube channels.

“We are excited to be collaborating with our long-standing partners at Pepsi Max for yet another highly entertaining opening ceremony performance at the 2022 UEFA Champions League final,” adds UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein. “These events always provide the ultimate cross-pollination of sport and music which we know fans love to watch – and Pepsi Max is the perfect partner to help us do that.

“We know that Camila Cabello is one of the world’s most popular artists and she will help us to build on our fans’ excitement for the opening ceremony performance with a show football fans will never forget.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Emeli Sandé, Snow Patrol and Gregory Porter are among the first batch of acts announced the UK’s Concert for Ukraine fundraiser.

ITV, STV and Livewire Pictures have joined forces with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and media and entertainment group Global to stage the concert at NEC Group’s Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on 29 March.

The televised event is expected to raise more than £3 million (€3.55m) for the humanitarian appeal in Ukraine. All sponsorship and advertising revenue from the broadcast will also be donated to the appeal by ITV. Tickets went on sale today, priced from £52 (€62).

“The NEC Group stands with the people of Ukraine,” says Guy Dunstan, MD of ticketing and arenas. “Whilst the live entertainment industry is shocked and deeply saddened to see the humanitarian crisis unfold, it has the power to make a difference. That’s, of course, through people’s love of music.

“As a charity fundraising event, Concert for Ukraine will be a fantastic show that brings together some of the UK’s biggest artists at one of our leading entertainment venues, Resorts World Arena, to help raise money for humanitarian relief.

“We look forward to working with promoters and organisers in the lead-up to the concert to ensure that we put on an incredible show”

“As a Birmingham-based group, we’re delighted to host an event with such meaning and a cause that will, of course, resonate with people up and down the country. We look forward to working with the promoters and organisers in the lead-up to the concert to ensure that we put on an incredible show which, at its heart, shines a positive light on the people of Ukraine.”

Nile Rodgers + Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Tom Odell, Becky Hill and The Kingdom Choir have also been confirmed for the concert, which will be screened across ITV, STV, ITV Hub and STV Player.

Polish television company TVP is also spearheading a global charity TV marathon with a live music element in aid of Ukraine. Broadcasters in Estonia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Albania and Latvia have already signed up for #SaveUkraine, which is earmarked for Sunday 27 March at 4.30pm GMT.

A spate of benefit concerts held in Europe over the past week together raised around €20 million for related causes. Sound of Peace, a televised live concert that took place on 20 March in Berlin and raised more than €12m, according to the organisers. Elsewhere, Together with Ukraine, a televised live concert held at the Atlas Arena (cap. 13,000) in Łódź, Poland, organised by promoter Follow the Step, reportedly raised more than €6m.

A pair of events spearheaded by Dutch promoter Alda also raised upwards of €1m for the Romanian Red Cross. We Are One took place at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania, while Dance For Ukraine was staged at Poland’s Tauron Arena.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.