Two-day virtual festival Music Feeds is to be staged on 28-29 January with the aim of raising funds for musicians and entertainment industry professionals who are struggling due to the pandemic.

The event is being organised by promoter Everybody Belongs Here and retailer Co-op, with the latter having already donated £1m toward the chosen causes: Stagehand, Help Musicians and food charity FareShare.

Sam Smith, Blossoms (pictured), Fontaines D.C., Newton Faulkner and Flogging Molly are among more than 40 international artists whose performances and interview will be broadcast during the streamed event.

The two-day online concert was filmed at Covid-safe rehearsal locations in London, Manchester and Glasgow. Tickets providing access to both nights are priced £15 and available here.

James guitarist Saul Davies, one of the team staging the event, said artists who have been unable to perform have donated unique items for a Music Feeds charity auction.”

Davies said the festival is priced to allow as many people as possible to support the causes: “There is also the option for festival goers to donate more. We are grateful to our ticketing partner DICE, who have significantly reduced their charges to only recover their costs.”

Stagehand, which was founded by members of the Production Services Association (PSA) in 1998, provides financial support to crew and technicians, while Help Musicians provides financial and emotional support to musicians.

Stagehand chair of trustees Mike Lowe said, “We are hugely appreciative of the Co-op’s significant contributions to food banks and this activity is as significant to our cause as it is to the public at large. Britain is battling food poverty like never seen before. With Everybody Belongs Here and Co-op bringing Music Feeds to the masses, we are able to continue feeding and supporting live event professionals facing severe hardship due to the decimation of the concert touring and festival industries.”