Oz bushfire aid gigs become largest-ever paid event

Melbourne, Mar 9 (ANI): The Sound Relief concert organised in Melbourne to raise funds for Victorian bushfire victims have become the largest-ever paid event in Australia.

Several international acts will perform and some legendary Australian bands have also reformed for the bushfire aid concerts to be held side by side in Melbourne and Sydney on March 14.

More than 78,000 tickets have been sold for the sell out Melbourne event, which will feature the likes of Kings of Leon and Kylie Minogue.

However, extra tickets have been added for the Sydney concert, to be headlined by Coldplay and The Presets.

In total over 100,000 tickets, priced at 75 dollars each, have been bought across both cities, adding to more than 100 million dollars raised so far for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

Fifty pct of the profits from the Sydney event will go to Queensland flood victims.

Co-organiser Michael Gudinski said he was impressed with the immense support shown by the citizens.

"It speaks volumes of the passion of our great country, helping a mate in trouble," News.com.au quoted Gudinski as saying.

He has also confirmed that Aussie pop diva Kylie Minogue will fly in to MC the Melbourne event.

"To me, Kylie is Melbourne," said Gudinski.

"Her attendance is the cherry on the top of an already phenomenal line-up. "She's our girl," he added. (ANI)