Emeli Sande performs from the roof of Wembley
Emeli Sande become first artist to perform from Wembley Stadium's roof
Emeli Sandé has become the first music artist to perform from the roof of Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
The Brit and BET award winning artist performed The FA Cup’s historic anthem Abide with Me from the top of the national stadium ahead of The Heads Up FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea on Saturday. The pre-recorded performance took place beneath Wembley’s iconic 133-metre-tall arch and was played within the stadium bowl and to the global television audience ahead of kick-off at the event.
It is the first time an artist has played from the roof of Wembley Stadium and the second Emeli has performed Abide with Me at a major sporting event, following the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
On being asked to perform from the roof, Emeli Sandé said: “It’s a stadium that I’d imagine for any musician would be a dream to play, so being the first person to play on the roof is very exciting. When I was first asked to do it I didn’t really know what to expect – if it was going to be a bit scary or we were going to be close to the edge – but because it’s so vast, you feel a bit safer. It really felt very liberating. You’re so high up you can see such a beautiful view of London, and especially as it’s for the FA Cup Final, the magnitude of what we’re doing has really sunk in. After this I can only dream that one day I can perform here and do my own show.”
It was announced last month that this year’s Final would be dedicated to Heads Up, after the competition’s lead partner Emirates donated their title to the mental health campaign. Spearheaded by The FA’s president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Heads Up is a partnership between The FA and Heads Together that harnesses the influence and popularity of football to change the conversation on mental health.
The season-long Heads Up campaign was launched at the FA Community Shield last year, and has been visible across all levels of football throughout the course of the 2019-20 season.
Emeli was keen to collaborate with The FA in order to include her voice in the deconstruction of racism in British communities and football, and to support mental health, which can be negatively impacted by experiences of racism.
Emeli added: "Only through love, justice and unity will the consequences of hate and separation be healed. Replace racism with justice for everyone."
Wembley Stadium’s Venue Director, Liam Boylan, said: “Wembley Stadium is an iconic venue which has been the setting for many ground-breaking and memorable moments over the years. We were delighted to be able to work with Emeli and her team ahead of the Heads Up FA Cup Final to add another to the list, with the first artist performance from the stadium’s roof. During what has been a challenging time for all of us, it was incredibly powerful to hear the words of Abide with Me ring out under the stadium’s arch. I’d like to thank Emeli and her team, as well as everyone involved in the operation at Wembley, for their help in creating such a special moment which will be remembered for years to come.”
The Brit and BET award winning artist performed The FA Cup’s historic anthem Abide with Me from the top of the national stadium ahead of The Heads Up FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea on Saturday. The pre-recorded performance took place beneath Wembley’s iconic 133-metre-tall arch and was played within the stadium bowl and to the global television audience ahead of kick-off at the event.
It is the first time an artist has played from the roof of Wembley Stadium and the second Emeli has performed Abide with Me at a major sporting event, following the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
On being asked to perform from the roof, Emeli Sandé said: “It’s a stadium that I’d imagine for any musician would be a dream to play, so being the first person to play on the roof is very exciting. When I was first asked to do it I didn’t really know what to expect – if it was going to be a bit scary or we were going to be close to the edge – but because it’s so vast, you feel a bit safer. It really felt very liberating. You’re so high up you can see such a beautiful view of London, and especially as it’s for the FA Cup Final, the magnitude of what we’re doing has really sunk in. After this I can only dream that one day I can perform here and do my own show.”
It was announced last month that this year’s Final would be dedicated to Heads Up, after the competition’s lead partner Emirates donated their title to the mental health campaign. Spearheaded by The FA’s president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Heads Up is a partnership between The FA and Heads Together that harnesses the influence and popularity of football to change the conversation on mental health.
The season-long Heads Up campaign was launched at the FA Community Shield last year, and has been visible across all levels of football throughout the course of the 2019-20 season.
Emeli was keen to collaborate with The FA in order to include her voice in the deconstruction of racism in British communities and football, and to support mental health, which can be negatively impacted by experiences of racism.
Emeli added: "Only through love, justice and unity will the consequences of hate and separation be healed. Replace racism with justice for everyone."
Wembley Stadium’s Venue Director, Liam Boylan, said: “Wembley Stadium is an iconic venue which has been the setting for many ground-breaking and memorable moments over the years. We were delighted to be able to work with Emeli and her team ahead of the Heads Up FA Cup Final to add another to the list, with the first artist performance from the stadium’s roof. During what has been a challenging time for all of us, it was incredibly powerful to hear the words of Abide with Me ring out under the stadium’s arch. I’d like to thank Emeli and her team, as well as everyone involved in the operation at Wembley, for their help in creating such a special moment which will be remembered for years to come.”