Two-part special 20 years on from tsunami relief concert set to air

BBC Cymru Wales has announced a two-part anniversary special, ‘Tsunami 2005: One night in Cardiff’, telling the extraordinary behind-the-scenes story of Wales’ biggest ever fund raising concert to be broadcast early in the new year.

In 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people and displaced thousands as entire communities were swept away in the devastation. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. 14 counties countries around the Indian Ocean basin were impacted and all were in need of international aid.

Just over three weeks later, on 22 January 2005, 66,000 fans crammed inside Cardiff’s iconic Millennium Stadium (now the Principality Stadium) to watch some of Britain’s biggest acts perform and raise money for the relief fund. At the time, it was the largest charity concert held in the UK since Live Aid.

Broadcast live by the BBC and S4C, the event raised over £1.25 million and for one night, it placed Wales at the centre of a world-wide relief effort for the victims of the tsunami disaster.

Eric Clapton, Jools Holland, Manic Street Preachers, Keane, Stereophonics, Embrace, Feeder, Charlotte Church, Craig David, Katherine Jenkins, Goldie Looking Chain and Snow Patrol were among the stellar lineup of acts that performed at the concert.

Herculean effort

But the journey to the big gig was not an easy one. The three men behind organising it had never put on a show of this size and magnitude, never mind in just a few weeks.

Paul Sergeant, manager of the stadium, and his two friends, promoter Pablo Janczur and ex-Wales international Rupert Moon, had a budget of fifty thousand pounds, no A-list celebs on their lineup and a plan written on the back of a beer mat.

Despite herculean efforts, the event was on the verge of being cancelled just hours before it was announced.

But they were determined to make a difference and somehow, everything came together for one amazing night of music in the heart of Cardiff.

20th anniversary

On the 20th anniversary of the concert, ‘Tsunami 2005: One night in Cardiff’ tells the unlikely story of how the group managed to pull off a monumental event by the skin of their teeth.

Using behind the scenes archive, testimonials and interviews with those involved – including Jools Holland, Feeder, Goldie Looking Chain, Craig David, Katherine Jenkins and Huw Stephens – ‘Tsunami 2005: One night in Cardiff’ will explore the stranger-than-fiction story of one of Britain’s biggest ‘DIY’ charity concerts.

Accompanying the documentary is an hour-long highlights programme, ‘Tsunami 2005: One night in Cardiff, the concert’, showcasing performances from the concert, none of which have been seen since 2005, intercut with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of event.

Denise Mather, Commissioner at BBC Cymru Wales, said: “This is the astonishing story of how a group of determined friends came together in a race against time to put on an incredible night of music in Cardiff, raising money to support the hundreds of thousands of people affected by one of the worst natural disasters in history.

It’s an emotional, nostalgic and ultimately uplifting tale, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. The concert includes some of the best known artists from 2005. Twenty years on, we felt it was the right time to tell this powerful story and reflect on the huge relief effort that took place on that extraordinary night in the heart of Cardiff.”

Adrian Jones, Head of TV and Film Production, Orchard Productions, said: “‘Tsunami 2005: One night in Cardiff’ is an unbelievable true story – one which speaks to the character of our nation. The Welsh people are often characterised by tenacity and grit, dedicated to helping others and I think our documentary represents that in the best way.

“It’s astonishing to me that the biggest charity concert, since Live Aid, was put together on the back of a beer mat and pulled off within three weeks.”