Eye-pod stars join Africa campaign

Today, the capital's most popular attraction is being turned into a rotating performance venue with every pod hosting a different show.

The event, to raise awareness of the benefits to Africa of fair-trade goods before next month's G8 summit, will see stars including Blur's Damon Albarn, Jo Brand, folk singer Beth Orton and Mercury Prize-nominated band Turin Brakes each taking over one of the 32 capsules.

The acts will also include Skunk Anansie's Skin and award-winning comedian Boothby Graffoe.

Other pods will host puppetry, plays from the National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre, awardwinning stand-up comedians and cutting-edge, African-influenced music.

Each performance, timed to last half an hour to fit into a single rotation of the Eye, will have a paying audience of only 20.

There are due to be only three performance rotations, at 7.30, 8.15 and 9pm, making the 1,920 pass-holders owners of the most exclusive tickets in town.

Tickets, at £21 each, sold rapidly, with a handful held back for sale today.

Comedian Brand said: "Through the admittedly rather odd activity of locking 20 people in a rotating glass pod high above central London and then making them laugh, I hope to raise the odd eyebrow and, more importantly, lots of awareness for trade justice."

Olly Knights of Turin Brakes hailed the event, sponsored by fair-trade coffee brand Cafedirect, as "bizarre and brilliant".