Prince Harry Steps Out Solo in Santa Barbara for Concert Supporting L.A. Wildfire Recovery

Prince Harry is continuing to show support for the Los Angeles area after a series of wildfires devastated California earlier this year.

On Saturday, March 8, the Duke of Sussex, 40, attended the One805 Rock for Responders benefit at The Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, California. Prince Harry, 40, lives in the Santa Barbara neighborhood of Montecito with wife Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie, 5 and Princess Lilibet, 3, making the outing one close to home.

The sold-out concert was organized by Santa Barbara nonprofit One805, which works to support first responders in Santa Barbara County. Prince Harry stepped out during the VIP cocktail hour and spoke with first responders, according to local News Channel 3-12. The concert was highlighted with performances by Hootie & the Blowfish, Kenny Loggins and Macy Gray, and fundraised for important causes. 

A portion of the show's proceeds benefitted Musi-Cares to support musicians affected by the wildfires, as well as the mental wellness of first responders in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

The Duke of Sussex is a longtime mental health advocate and has served as Chief Impact Officer for coaching and mental health platform BetterUp since 2021 to further that work. Harry and Meghan have also supported fundraisers for One805 in years past, and he hit the stage to celebrate a local pilot at the One805LIVE! Concert Kevin Costner hosted in September 2024.

At least 29 people died in the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area that began on Jan. 7 and were not contained in full until Jan. 31. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee and thousands of structures were affected in the most destructive firestorm in city history.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made California their home since 2020, and Meghan grew up in Los Angeles. The couple hit the ground to lend help at the World Central Kitchen hub in Pasadena on Jan. 10, distributing food and supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire. World Central Kitchen is a longtime partner of Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, and their charity also contributed to the Altadena Teen Girls Fire Recovery group that the Duchess of Sussex quietly volunteered with on Jan. 13. 

PEOPLE confirmed that Harry and Meghan also opened their home to friends and loved ones forced to evacuate, and encouraged others to do the same.

With the full support of Netflix, around that time, Meghan pushed back the premiere of her lifestyle series With Love, Meghan from Jan. 15 to March 4 as a sensitivity towards the destruction caused by the wildfires.

In this week's exclusive PEOPLE cover story, the Duchess of Sussex describes her series as a "love letter to California" and says the decision to delay was the right call.

"I’m glad that we [paused], and could really focus our energies on the stuff that matters," Meghan says.

"It will be a really long road to recovery," she adds amid the uncertainty and loss of some 11,000 homes. "It’s my home state, and I will continue my support in whatever way I can."

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In February, the Duchess of Sussex shared a peek of a good deed she privately organized for a teen girl who lost her home in the California wildfires and sent Billie Eilish merch to replace what was lost with a little help from the pop icon herself.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.