THE STEPHEN LAWRENCE DAY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ‘MORE LIFE – PASS THE MIC’ AT THE O2

Today, the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation (SLDF) has announced MORE LIFE – PASS THE MIC, a once-in-a-generation musical event that will take place on Friday 13 September 2024 at The O2, marking what would have been Stephen Lawrence’s 50th birthday.

Priority Tickets are available to O2 and Virgin Media customers at https://priority.o2.co.uk/ from 10am on Wednesday 10 July and go on general sale at 10am on Friday 12 July via www.theo2.co.uk.

Featuring internationally acclaimed live performers, special guests, and hosts, the event will bring together a curated line-up of generation-defining artists representing the future of Stephen’s legacy. D Double E, Ghetts, The Kanneh-Masons, Mahalia, Nao and Wretch 32 are among the artists that have been announced so far, with many more notable names to be announced in the coming weeks.

The artists and industry leaders behind this project are coming together to celebrate the power of Black culture, community, and allyship, and to honour Stephen’s remarkable legacy. The event will take place at The O2 in Greenwich, South-East London, which was Stephen’s home.

Through the medium of music MORE LIFE – PASS THE MIC converges art, history, culture, and community to celebrate and provide a platform for hopeful conversations about the future of Stephen’s legacy and the Black experience in the UK. The event promises to be unlike anything audiences have seen – and artists have participated in – before.

Baroness Lawrence, Stephen Lawrence’s mother and Founder of SLDF, commented: “Music has the power to touch people’s hearts and inspire shifts in how they view themselves and the world around them, much like Stephen did for those who knew and loved him, and the many who only know his story. The 13th September will be a time for reflection and celebration and a moment to uplift the beauty and brilliance of our community. Together, we can make a collective commitment to building a kinder, more equitable society in Stephen’s name.”

Leading a coalition of Black leaders and allies from across the music industry and beyond, SLDF is supported by Live Nation, Metropolis, The O2 and AEG Presents in staging and promoting this generation-defining event, as well as a collective of major record labels, including Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, 0207 Def Jam and media partners, BBC 1Xtra, Spotify and YouTube. Together, all partners have committed to delivering a line-up that will connect Stephen’s story to the next generation, elevating his legacy to its rightful place in history.

Jessica Neil, CEO of SLDF, commented: “Harnessing the transformative power of music, we are inviting the next generation to reclaim Stephen’s legacy as their own. Stephen was an ordinary young man whose life and death have created extraordinary impact. This event is about demonstrating the power of ordinary people to drive extraordinary change when their talents and aspirations are nurtured. MORE LIFE – PASS THE MIC is a celebration of culture and community and a once-in-a-lifetime musical moment that we hope will spark a generation-defining movement for change.”

ENDS

For more information on The O₂, please contact: Communications.team@theo2.co.uk

For more information on the event, please contact: SLDF@organic-publicity.com