Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will perform live at AT&T Stadium during the nationally televised halftime show of the Dallas Cowboys game against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day.
The kickoff performance is a Cowboys tradition. It encourages Americans to donate to the Red Kettle Campaign, which helps provide shelter and meals for the homeless, Christmas toys for children, and social service programs to millions of people in need year-round.
While visiting The Salvation Army's New York Temple Corps soup kitchen, Ellie Goulding witnessed the The Salvation Army's impact on people's lives, particularly through services funded by donations made during the Red Kettle Campaign and throughout the year.
"I am honored to perform at the Dallas Cowboys halftime show and kick off The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign," Goulding said. "With so many people in need, I believe it's our duty to help, and I encourage everyone to donate to The Salvation Army. The money they raise during the Red Kettle Campaign will change lives for the better all year long."
Goulding first emerged with her debut album LIGHTS in 2010 and quickly became an international superstar. An Interscope recording artist, Goulding cemented her rising status as a prominent artist in popular music by receiving two Grammy Award nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, two BRIT Awards, sales of 15 million albums and more than 112 million singles, and 13 billion streams worldwide. She is gearing up for the release of a new studio album next year.
Goulding has performed by invitation for President Obama, the Royal Family, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. She is a social activist and philanthropist, and she works with the UN as a Global Environmental Ambassador as well as a patron of The Marylebone Project and fundraising for Streets of London.
"Ellie Goulding's infectious energy and generous spirit is a perfect match to kick off the campaign," Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Cowboys and former national advisory board chairperson for The Salvation Army, said. "We are so excited to have Ellie on our national stage for another incredible kickoff performance this year."
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The Red Kettle Campaign, which begins on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Christmas Eve, is the largest and longest-running fundraiser of its kind. It raised $142.7 million during the 2018 campaign.
"For more than two decades, the Dallas Cowboys have been walking alongside The Salvation Army and fighting for those in need," Lt. Col. Ward Matthews, national spokesperson for The Salvation Army, said. "We are thankful for their continued support and look forward to a memorable kickoff performance from Ellie Goulding."
The Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show has been nationally televised for the previous 22 years, reaching millions of viewers with the campaign's message. Ellie Goulding is the newest addition to a list of Red Kettle Kickoff celebrity halftime performers that includes Meghan Trainor, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Selena Gomez, Kenny Chesney, Enrique Iglesias, Keith Urban, Daughtry, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny's Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gilman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.
