Live8 to start on July 2

Bob Geldof announced the array of star-studded concerts in Europe and US. In pics

Irish rocker-turned-activist Bob Geldof announced a star-studded day of concerts in Europe and the United States in July aimed at pressuring world leaders to end poverty in Africa.

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In a reprise of his 1985 Live Aid spectacle, he said mega-stars including Madonna, Mariah Carey, REM, Bon Jovi and U2 will perform at Live8: The Long Walk to Justice on July 2.

Simultaneous shows will rock London, Philadelphia, Berlin, Paris and Rome, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators, while billions more are expected to watch on television, Geldof said.

He also urged everyone to travel afterwards to Edinburgh ahead of the Group of Eight (G8) summit on July 6-8 in nearby Gleneagles to raise awareness for some 50,000 people who die of hunger daily.

More than 200,000 are already expected to hold a rally in the Scottish capital on July 2 ahead of the G8 summit where the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States will meet.

"The concert is the beginning," Geldof told a news conference in London alongside other famous faces behind the event, such as singer Elton John, film-writer Richard Curtis and France's former culture minister Jack Lang.

"This is a genuine solidarity of the people. It is a shared concern for another continent," said the shaggy-haired campaigner.

Geldof, who has worked closely with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to compile a report on how to help Africa by erasing all unpayable debt owed by the poorest countries, doubling aid and making trade fairer, said Live8 marked the final leg of a journey that began 20 years ago with Live Aid.