 Organizers estimated that the crowd numbered in the hundreds of thousands
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An all-star lineup of musical talent and environmental heavyweights convened on the National Mall Sunday afternoon to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
According to organizers from the Earth Day Network, more than one hundred thousand people attended the open-air concert and rally marking the historic occasion, and despite ominous weather reports, the climate cooperated to produce a warm, breezy afternoon perfect for an outdoor festival.
Musical acts included Sting, John Legend, Joss Stone, The Roots, Bob Weir, Jimmy Cliff, and more. Interspersed among the bands were VIP speakers, among them Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Rev. Jesse Jackson, "Avatar" director James Cameron, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trudie Styler, Philippe Cousteau, and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones.
Backstage, artists blended seamlessly with policymakers, scholars, and activists in a way that felt uniquely Washingtonian. Sting and Styler embraced a bevy of old friends upon arrival, then sat in the wings watching other performers for most of the day. Just offstage, Cameron and Markey chatted for nearly an hour. A few feet away from them, Jackson and Reuben cracked each other up. — Report and photographs by Christina Wilkie
Sting arrives backstage before his 7 p.m. show
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Producer Trudie Styler arrives. She spoke about the work she and husband Sting are doing to fight deforestation
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Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks to an attendee
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Yale professor Gus Speth, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass), ClimateProgress.org writer Joseph Romm with a young fan, actress Gloria Reuben, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Denis Hayes, who coordinated the first Earth Day in 1970
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Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff
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Oscar-winning director James Cameron (right) takes questions from participants during an informal session
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Christine Teigen and performer John Legend head for the stage
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Cincinnati Bengals linebacker and Travel Channel host Dhani Jones with his mother, Nancy Jones | 
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and actress Gloria Reuben catch up
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A fan poses with actor Giovanni Ribisi (right)
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"Avatar" director James Cameron (center) and his wife Suzy Amis chat with Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) (left) | 
Corcoran Gallery of Art's Rachel Cothran
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Legendary funk band The Roots takes the stage
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Sting brought down the house as the final act of the night
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