Was This Fundraiser the World's Greatest Rock Concert?

Move over, Central Park! On December 9, the most important green space in New York City became the Beacon Theater, where the 30th annual Rainforest Fund benefit concert was held. The evening—which was hosted by Robert Downey, Jr. and featured performances from Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Martin, Debbie Harry, James Taylor, Annie Lennox, Adrienne Warren, and more—benefitted the conservation group founded by Sting (who also took the stage) and Trudie Styler more than 30 years ago.

“We first visited the Amazon rainforest late in 1987 and saw for ourselves the impact of clearing the rainforest,” Styler told T&C. “It’s a stark and shocking contrast to see pristine rainforest teeming with life and then vast blackened stains on the land where trees and been burned to clear for monoculture farming. The rainforest is also home to indigenous communities whose rights are violated when their ancestral land is invaded and stolen from them by illegal loggers or miners. One of the leaders of these communities, Raoni of the Kayapo people, asked us to help him tell the world that destroying the forests would come back to haunt us. And he was right.”

So, for three decades the group has championed the rainforests and raised money with star-studded musical galas. This year’s event, however, will be the group’s last.

“We used to do the show every year, and then we did it every second year, and of course it is a great gig to attend because we always have some of the most amazing international artists who are willing to donate their time and talent,” Styler says. “But there are really more efficient ways to raise the funds needed for our work, and so we’ve decided to take a different approach. We’re not saying ’never again’, but we’re definitely taking a break from this model of fundraising.”

Considering the lineup at this event—which packed the Beacon and then moved on to an afterparty at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel where guests included Karlie Kloss, Donna Karan and Val Kilmer—it’s fair to say they’re going out on a high note.