July 24, 2006, Toronto – The week-long XVI International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2006) will kick off with a major opening concert on Sunday evening, August 13, 2006 at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. The concert event, Time to Deliver – The AIDS 2006 Concert, will feature a lineup of star performers, dignitaries and leaders, and is being co-presented by the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Canada (NMCFC).

The lineup of outstanding musical performers includes Amanda Marshall, Chantal Kreviazuk, the Barenaked Ladies, Our Lady Peace, Alicia Keys, Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe, the Red Spirit Singers and Dancers, Massari, Blue Man Group, DJ Tiesto from The Netherlands and more. The concert will immediately follow the official opening proceedings.

"These two events in one evening at the Rogers Centre – the opening with the concert promise to make this a memorable evening that will bring even greater attention to the AIDS issue here in Canada and around the world," said Andrew Pringle, CANFAR Board President.

The opening proceedings will include welcome remarks by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario and His Worship David Miller, Mayor of Toronto; as well as remarks by Frika Chia Iskandar, a young Indonesian woman living with HIV/AIDS; and UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot. The opening will conclude with a keynote address by Bill and Melinda Gates, Co-Chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a performance by Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman with musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Other major participants attending the conference include former Presidents Mary Robinson and Bill Clinton, HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, who is a UNAIDS Special Representative, and actors Richard Gere and Olympia Dukakis.

"This conference is a tremendous opportunity to share knowledge and develop new strategies to prevent infection and prolong life for people living with HIV/AIDS," said Dr. Mark Wainberg, Chair of the AIDS 2006 Toronto Local Host. "The conference organizers are extremely grateful for all the speakers, performers and other participants who have agreed to lend their voices and mobilize action in support of our conference theme, Time to Deliver."

Tickets for the official opening and concert are on sale to the public. "This concert is truly a community event, uniting conference participants with the people of Toronto in our shared commitment to fight AIDS. We are grateful to have the partnership of CANFAR, NMCFC and ACT in making these events possible for our community and the conference," said Darryl Perry, Executive Director of the AIDS 2006 Toronto Local Host.

Proceeds from the concert will go towards fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic both locally and globally through CANFAR, the NMCFC, and the AIDS Committee of Toronto Community Partners Fund, and will also support future scholarships for the next International AIDS Conference to be held in Mexico City in 2008.

"This concert brings together people from all over the world who are united in the fight against AIDS," says Mark Beckles, Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Canada. "The International AIDS Conference is the biggest event happening in Toronto this summer, and this concert is not to be missed."

AIDS 2006 brings together the best minds from science, research and social policy, as well as the voices of communities affected by HIV/AIDS. An estimated 20,000 participants from over 140 countries are expected to attend the biennial conference, the largest and most important gathering in the fight against AIDS, to be held in Toronto, Canada from 13-18 August 2006.

The conference is organized around three components: science, community, and leadership. The programme will offer over 400 sessions, meetings and workshops featuring important scientific advances and discussion of current policy issues among political, scientific and community leaders and others on the frontlines of the epidemic. The programme will feature the latest research and a wide variety of activities, including sessions planned by and for young people, Viral Culture which is the Cultural Activities Programme in museums, galleries and other venues throughout downtown Toronto, and the Global Village that will be open to the general public.