Muse announced as headline act for War Child BRIT Awards Concert

War Child and O2 are proud to announce Muse as the headline act for the much anticipated annual event at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, two nights before the 2013 BRIT Awards.

This event marks the start of War Child’s 20th Anniversary Year, and comes ahead of War Child’s Special Recognition Award to be presented at the BRIT Awards.

Muse are nominated for British Group and British Live Act at the 2013 BRIT Awards.

This will be a very special, one-off, intimate show from a band currently gracing massive arenas on their US tour. This summer Muse return to the UK to play Coventry’s Ricoh Stadium, London’s Emirates Stadium and Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. The group first supported War Child in 2002 and worked with the charity as recently as October 2012 when they launched their album with a charity show at London’s Roundhouse.

Matt Bellamy said today; “We are proud to have a continuing association with War Child, who have been doing amazing work over the last 20 years. It’s great to see their efforts being recognised at this year’s BRITs and we are really looking forward to playing this special show for them”.

This is the fifth year of War Child and O2’s annual BRIT Awards Concert, hosted at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Having raised over £600,000 in the last four years, the night is a firm fixture on the music calendar and has staged unique performances from Coldplay, The Killers, Blur, Kasabian, Ed Sheeran and Mark Ronson.

The War Child BRIT Awards Concert is a celebration of great live music and the power of music to change people’s lives. All ticket proceeds will go to aid War Child's work with children in war zones across the world.

2013 marks two decades of War Child’s unique work protecting the innocent victims of war. War Child UK has changed and saved the lives of over 800,000 children in the world’s most war-torn countries, children who would otherwise have been forgotten. From Bosnia, Chechnya and Rwanda to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo, War Child have given children the security, care, education and skills they need to build a better future for themselves.

War Child’s incredible achievements have been supported by the biggest artists of the last twenty years, the British music industry and music fans themselves.

Ben Knowles, Director of Fundraising and Music at War Child, says: “This year is a special one for War Child and we’re delighted to welcome one of the world’s biggest and best live bands play for us to launch our 20th Anniversary year and celebrate our Special Recognition BRIT Award.

Music gives War Child an incredible platform to talk about the unacceptable impact thatconflict has on innocent children and it helps us engage the support we need to do something about it. We are very grateful to Muse for joining us, and to O2 for their ongoing support.”

Sally Cowdry, Marketing and Consumer Director at O2 said: "This is a very special year for us - it's our 5th year of working with War Child and what better way to recognise this and help them celebrate their 20th anniversarythan by announcing such an incredible event?  We are proud to continue to support the fantastic work that they do and to be able to offer our customers Priority Tickets for what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest gigs of the year ".

For more information on War Child go to www.warchild.org.uk

Text SAFE to 70444 to donate £3 to War Child’s Appeal for children in Syria.

Doors: 7.30pm

Tickets are priced at £50.

(Thanks to O2’s support 100% of your ticket price will go direct to War Child.)

Tickets available on O2 Presale at 9am Wednesday January 30

Tickets available on General Sale 9am Friday February 1

www.ticketmaster.co.uk and 0844 248 5028