Original Wiggles Reuniting to Raise Funds For Australian Fire Relief

Metalcore band The Ghost Inside are also planning a charity event.

The O.G. lineup of beloved Australian children's act The Wiggles are planning a brushfire benefit show in Sydney on Jan. 18 to raise funds for the Australian Red Cross and the NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Education Services in the wake of the ongoing deadly wildfire crisis in the country.

"We’re getting the band back together… to raise some much-needed funds to assist with those affected by the bushfires in Australia," the band wrote on Facebook. "ALL proceeds from the show (tickets and merchandise sales) will be going to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES." 

The 18+ show at Castle Hill RSL will be the first time original members — Greg Page, Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt — have appeared on stage together since 2016; at press time the venue reported that the show was sold out. 

With an estimated 18 million acres burned so far and the smoke so thick it can be seen from space, artists are rallying to contribute to relief efforts. One of the nation's biggest stars, Kylie Minogue, announced on Monday morning (Jan. 6) that her family has donated $500,000 to the firefighting efforts. 

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman and P!nk also made massive donations — $500,000 from the couple and the singer, respectively — to support the firefighters battling the dozens of fires, which have resulted in the evacuations of thousands of residents in coastal towns such as New South Wales and Victoria, and at least 25 deaths as the flames from the five months-old blazes have reached the suburban edges of Sydney.

Celine Dion and Ozzy Osbourne have also urged her fans to do whatever they can to help, with Dion tweeting a picture with a koala and writing, "the horrendous fires in Australia are absolutely devastating. It’s heartbreaking to see the destruction they are causing. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Australia. If you can, please donate to help. – Céline."

Among the organizations Dion and Osbourne recommended donating to are: the Australian Red Cross, NSW Rural Fire Service, Wires Wildlife Rescue, the CFS Foundation and the Victoria CFA. At press time, it was reported that more than one billion animals have died in the fires so far, with more than 130 fires still burning out of control across the nation.

L.A.-based metalcore band The Ghost Inside have also planned a charity fundraiser to donate money to the cause, slated for Wednesday (Jan. 8). "We threw together an event for Wednesday over at the UNIFY office. We’re going to try and raise a little bit of money for bushfire relief," the band said in a Twitter video about the gig at 4 p.m. at the UNIFY headquarters in Richmond, Victoria. They noted that they will be offering some exclusive merch at the event, including shirts, posters, albums and more.