Stevie Nicks and Melissa Etheridge Take the Stage for City of Hope

Three of rock’s most enduring voices will share a single stage in West Hollywood this month, and the cause is bigger than the bill. On Tuesday, October 27, Stevie Nicks, Melissa Etheridge and Jackson Browne will perform at City of Hope’s 2026 Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life Gala at the Pacific Design Center.

The gala honors Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, who was named the 2026 Spirit of Life Award recipient earlier this year. The evening is the marquee event of Mestel’s year-long fundraising campaign for City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the country.

Where the money goes

This year’s campaign is built around CAR T cell therapy and other cellular immunotherapies, treatments that reprogram a patient’s own immune cells to attack tumors with greater precision. City of Hope is recognized as a global leader in the field and operates one of the nation’s largest outpatient CAR T cell therapy programs. A portion of the funds raised will also support breast cancer research and patient care initiatives.

The timing is deliberate. The gala falls during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Etheridge has spoken about the cause in personal terms. “As a breast cancer survivor, this cause is deeply personal to me,” she said when the lineup was announced. “I know how critical research, compassionate care and breakthrough treatments are for patients and families facing cancer.”

A West Hollywood room for a music industry night

The Pacific Design Center, with its red, blue and green glass towers on Melrose Avenue, has hosted its share of industry events, but a triple bill of Nicks, Etheridge and Browne is a genuine get. All three artists have deep California roots, and all three have spent decades using their platforms for philanthropic causes.

The campaign launched with an intimate kickoff in New York City earlier this year, where leaders from across the music and entertainment industries gathered to start the fundraising push. The October gala is the culmination, the night the industry shows up in force.

“City of Hope’s mission is deeply meaningful to me and to so many people throughout our industry,” Mestel said. “This night is about harnessing the power of music and community to fund lifesaving research, support patients and families, and help create a future where more people survive cancer.”

If you want in

The Spirit of Life Gala is a fundraising dinner, which means tables and tickets come at philanthropic prices rather than concert prices. Details on attending or contributing are available through City of Hope’s MFEI campaign page. Even if the gala itself is out of reach, the campaign accepts donations year-round, and the research it funds touches families far beyond the entertainment industry.

For everyone else, the night is a reminder of what West Hollywood does well. The city has always been where the music business and its causes intersect, and on October 27, that intersection will be lit up in the blue glow of the Design Center.