In the wake of the historic wildfires that devastated the greater Los Angeles area only weeks ago, the music community has banded together to champion recovery for one of its epicenters. Last night, the efforts of countless artists and organizers were realized with FireAid, a star-studded charity showcase that lit up the darkened city from the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome. Presented by partners Live Nation, AEG and the Azoff family, the 27-act bill went beyond high expectations with a litany of guest stars, unprecedented collaborations and one-night-only performances from the biggest names in music.

With a lineup packed with proud LA locals, FireAid’s five-and-a-half-hour program maintained a solemn yet resolute mood as musicians and presenters offered personal reflections on the city they love and the path ahead. Split between the two vaunted venues, the event favored rock and The Forum and an eclectic mix of pop at Intuit Dome, together representing Los Angeles’ rich musical past, present and future.

The concert at Intuit Dome started a bit later than its counterpart a mile away, and fans in the arena watched the first acts from the Forum–including Billie Eilish’s guest-spot with Green Day on “Last Night on Earth” and Anderson .Paak’s sit-ins from Sheila E and Dr. Dre for “California Love”–live on the Halo Board. At 8:30 p.m., Rod Stewart started up the later show with a tender “Maggie May,” then gave way for Earth, Wind & Fire’s exuberant stagings of “That’s the Way of the World” and “September” that lifted “hearts of fire” like only the 55-year R&B pathbreakers can.

Pop and otherwise chart-topping stars like Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry and Lil Baby followed at Intuit Dome before electrifying later sets from local sensation Olivia Rodrigo, Latin ambassador Peso Pluma, an acoustic Eilish and The Police frontman Sting, who shared “Message in a Bottle,” “Driven to Tears” and his emotional solo cut “Fragile.” Stevie Wonder took the stage as the evening’s penultimate act and maintained this mournful yet uplifting tone with “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” then ripped into electrifying renditions of “Superstition” and “Higher Ground” bolstered by guests Sting and Flea.

Lady Gaga finally closed out the Intuit Dome program with the A Star is Born standout “Shallows” and a new original written exclusively for the benefit event. “When I was thinking about what to sing tonight, I thought I wanted to do something hopeful,” she explained to the starstruck crowd. “Me and my friend Michael, my fiancé, my love, we wrote this song for you. It’s just for tonight. It’s just for you.”

Back at The Forum, fans were treated to a rare performance from Joni Mitchell, who appeared alongside a smaller version of the same Joni Jam band that supported her October performances at The Hollywood Bowl; the legendary songstress of Laurel Canyon sent a chill through the stadium with a soul-stirring “Both Sides Now.” Though the 81 year-old icon is no easy act to follow, Dawes kept the heartfelt spirit of her set alive with the bittersweet “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” into which brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, who both lost their Altadena homes and studio to the fires, channeled a knowing and nuanced love for their city.

Dawes continued by saluting Los Angeles’ music history with a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” amplified by special guest appearances from original member Stephen Stills and The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell. The legendary Stills remained onstage after the set for an act of his own and made history by welcoming former bandmate and collaborator Graham Nash. Occasioned by the crisis at home and the unbelievable star-power of the evening, the pair’s rare reunion gave rise to a warm treatment of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Teach Your Children Well.”

After a set from P!nk, who opted to forego her trademark high-flying stage theatrics for smashing covers of “Me & Bobby McGee” and Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” John Mayer stepped into the spotlight for a solo set that was originally planned as a duet with Dave Matthews. Mayer, a known proponent of solo acoustic stadium sets, proved more than capable of captivating the crowd on his own with a slow and potent cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.”

The Black Crowes served up the second Zeppelin classic of the evening with a gritty, muscular cover of “Going to California” featuring Slash, then John Fogerty peered back into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s catalog with “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and the Gwen Stefani-fronted No Doubt stepped up for the SoCal essential “Just a Girl.” When Stevie Nicks stepped up for her set, she imparted one of the evening’s most moving personal statements as she recalled the sight of fire rushing towards her Palisades home and expressed immense gratitude for the firefighters that saved it. In their honor, she issued a heart-rending performance of “Landslide.”

The second-to-last set at The Forum brought another historic reunion as Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic reconnected at long last to recall Nirvana. Long-missed classics from the foundational grunge outfit were completed by a revolving cast of vocalists: St. Vincent helmed “Breed,” Kim Gordon sang “School,” Joan Jett ripped up “Territorial Pissings” and Grohl’s daughter Violet led “All Apologies.” After this shocking surprise set, there was no better band to close out the earlier venue’s love letter to Los Angeles than the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who shared “Dani California,” and “Californication” and “Under the Bridge” to send the crowd off into the night.

All donations spurred by FireAid–including an early $1 million pledge from U2–were matched by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Snyder, and all proceeds from the evening will go to a 501(c)(3) charitable organization created for the event. These funds will be split between the missions of rebuilding some of the over 16,000 structures destroyed by the fire, supporting people displaced and injured by the blaze, and developing new protective measures to prevent future disasters. For more information on the event and a donation window, visit fireaidla.org.