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COVID-19 Relief Concert: DJ David Guetta Helps Raise $600K With 2-Hour Show Outside Icon Brickell

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Ultra in Miami may have been canceled, but on Saturday night, producer and DJ David Guetta put on a big show outside of Icon Brickell and the W Brickell.

The two-hour concert was streamed live as millions tuned in around the world. It was in partnership with the Miami Downtown Development Authority to raise money for non-profits, including Feeding South Florida. A total of $600,000 was raised.

For some lucky residents, it was a party on their balconies, like many of the ones seen in Brickell during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Ve, who lives in Icon Brickell and works in the music industry, has been working from home like many around the country.

"I foresee that this will create, and force, more innovation from other artists and producers. How can we create an event like what David Guetta did, and replicate it in other cities – where there's no direct audience, but the audience is from the surroundings?" Ve wrote to CBS4's Frances Wang. "How can we still bring the big production to people's homes, but maintain the social distancing that will be still so important to follow for months to come? Artists and music folks - take note!"

Ve said he and other residents had no idea Guetta would be putting on a show outside of his apartment complex until the night before, when he heard the sound checks and the noise from everything being set up.

According to Ve, the massive production included lights, fog smoke, and a drone circling the skies to capture aerial footage. He estimates around 5,000 people from the buildings in downtown Miami and Brickell that surrounds the pool deck got to see the show in person.

"Even though we were not physically together in a usual concert setting, we were all dancing together in our separate balconies, united by the music and what we're going through. It was such a beautiful moment. I looked over to my fiancé and I remember telling him, 'I'm never going to forget this,'" wrote Ve. "I feel so blessed, and I guess this is Miami's version of the Italy balcony singing :) And this was all for charity – where this event raised over $600K for COVID-19 relief."

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