Artists have mobilised to produce benefit concerts in support of Hurricane Helene victims across the Southeastern United States.

Country and folk stars Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, and Billy Strings announced a benefit concert for North Carolina yesterday (7 October), set for 26 October at Charlotte’s 75,000-capacity Bank of America Stadium. Combs, Church, and Taylor are all natives, with Strings touring the state extensively.

Hurricane Helene ripped through parts of Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee in the final days of September, rapidly intensifying to become the deadliest hurricane since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Over 230 people have died across six states, with 117 of those being from North Carolina, per CNN.

Proceeds from tickets and sponsorships will be split evenly Combs’ choice of recipients, which includes two food banks, and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation, poised to support established aid organizations across the state and greater region.

Church spoke online about his motivation: “This is my home. It’s in every fibre of who I am. Our family members, friends, neighbours and communities are in dire need. I’m honored to share the stage with an incredible lineup in order to help meet those needs.”

The country star also released the song Darkest Hour on Friday (4 October) in response to the devastation, and will donate all publishing royalties.

Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, 10 October. An auction and raffle are also expected to take place, with details to be announced.

“If there’s anything I can do to give back in any way I can I’m always willing to do that”

American country artist Sturgill Simpson will also play in support of victims, with his 21 October show at Cary, N.C.’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre (7,000) to benefit the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.

Simpson was originally due to play Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena (7,200) as part of his 2024 fall tour but cancelled the show following extreme flooding across the city. He will now perform two nights in Cary, with tickets for the benefit show going on sale starting Thursday.

Asheville’s arena has also suspended live performances this month, cancelling stops from Ray Lamontagne & Gregory Alan Isakov, Knocked Loose, Goose, and others. It, among other venues like South Carolina’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena (15,000), has been utilised as shelter and gathering spaces for the communities affected.

Other artists are also pitching in. Tennessee native Dolly Parton announced a $1 million (£762k) donation for recovery efforts, which could reportedly take years.

“God has been good to me and so has the public, and I feel that if there’s anything I can do to give back in any way I can I’m always willing to do that. I want to feel like I’m doing my part,” Parton said in a press conference on Saturday (5 October).

Over the weekend, American hardcore band Converge released a live album in support of the victims, with all proceeds to be donated to Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.

Hurricane Helene also forced the cancellation of a series of events across the region, including the final days of both the debut edition of Alabama’s South Star Festival and Kentucky’s Louder Than Life. Impending storm Hurricane Milton, which has rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm, is set to descend on Flordia in the coming days.

“Weather is getting more and more severe and you never know what is going to happen”

Severe weather has become an increasingly common issue in the live music ecosystem, with insurance premiums spiking as a result. Panellists at Croatia’s SHIP Conference spoke about the knock-on effects during a discussion about the financial impacts of weather last month.

“Weather is getting more and more severe and you never know what is going to happen. We just need to make sure we prepare ourselves the best we can in advance and assess it year by year,” said Barbora Bodnárová, booking manager at Pohoda Festival (SK). This year’s edition of the Slovakian festival was curtailed after a storm-induced tent collapse injured 29 attendees.

Parts of Europe are still reeling from the impacts of Storm Boris, which unleashed severe flooding across parts of Romania, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary last month. Multiple gigs across the affected countries were cancelled as a result of the storm surge.

Last week, leading Austrain promoter Barracuda Music GmbH announced a benefit concert in support of the flooding victims, to take place at Wiener Neustadt’s Arena Nova (5,000). The event, scheduled for 26 October, will feature Austrian artists Seiler & Speer, Wanda, Christina Stürmer, and more.

All proceeds from the concert will be donated to Austria Helps Austria, with donations to be distributed among a handful of local aid organisations.

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High-profile festivals and concerts in the southeast of the US have been impacted by Hurricane Helene, which has claimed the lives of at least 107 people.

Festivals including South Star (Alabama) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky) were cut short, while concerts with Billy Joel and Sting (Missouri) and Hootie and the Blowfish (Florida) were postponed.

The inaugural edition of South Star was due to take place across the weekend (28–29 September) in Huntsville, Alabama, but C3 Presents was forced to call off the second day due to the hurricane.

Sunday’s lineup included Blink-182, Beck, Sublime, Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Eat World, Big Boi and more.

According to a statement from the festival promoters, John Hunt Park was saturated before the festival started and Saturday’s foot traffic led to “severe deterioration” of the grounds.

“Following an inspection by festival organisers along with city officials, it has been determined that the grounds are no longer safe to welcome you back today,” reads the statement published on Sunday.

“In coordination with the City of Huntsville, we have made the difficult decision to cancel today’s festival… safety is paramount, and we do not take this decision lightly.”

Sunday day tickets and one-half of two-day tickets purchased directly through Front Gate Tickets will automatically be refunded in within 30 days, according to the promoters.

“Safety is paramount, and we do not take this decision lightly”

Louder Than Life, a four-day rock and alternative festival based in Louisville, Kentucky, also lost a day of programming due to the adverse weather.

Promoter Danny Wimmer Presents called off the second day (Friday 27 September) of the 10th edition due to 50-mile-per-hour winds and heavy rain.

“We’ve been working closely with our meteorologists and local authorities, holding on to the hope that we can open doors, but the continuous wind gusts simply make it impossible for us to proceed safely,” read a statement from the organisers.

“We know how disappointing this is — it’s gut-wrenching for us too. But your safety, along with the safety of our artists and crew, will always be our number one priority.”

Louder Than Life’s Friday lineup included performances by Slayer, Till Lindemann, Anthrax, Evanescence and In This Moment. Day ticket holders were invited to attend either Saturday or Sunday of the festival instead.

Elsewhere, Billy Joel and Sting’s concert at Busch Stadium (cap. 46,000) in St. Louis, Missouri, was rescheduled from Friday (27 September) to Sunday due to the inclement weather. Tickets remained valid.

“The safety of the fans, artists, crew, and staff is paramount. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” said Live Nation in a statement.

Live Nation was also forced to postpone a concert with Hootie & The Blowfish at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater (20,000) in Tampa, Florida, from Thursday to Sunday.

Three days after Hurricane Helene tore through the US southeast, the death toll has hit 107 lives in six states, according to the Associated Press.

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