Live Aid: As It Happened!
- On July 13, 1985, Live Aid featured 16 hours of simultaneous concerts in London and Philadelphia to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief.
- The event grew from Michael Buerk's 1984 report on Ethiopia's crisis and Paula Yates' idea to fundraise after watching with Bob Geldof and their daughter.
- Live Aid assembled top performers including Queen, U2, Madonna, and Paul McCartney, with backstage tensions, a global diva arriving late, and a supergroup refusing footage use.
- The concert reached two billion viewers worldwide, raised about £150 million, and Bob Geldof stated Paula was vital, calling her “the lovely glue” in organizing the event.
- Live Aid's legacy endures through a CNN 40th anniversary series exploring its origins, impact, and featuring interviews with Geldof, Bono, and world leaders about its global influence.
12 Articles
12 Articles

Live Aid: As It Happened!
Live Aid. A global jukebox staged on two continents, and watched by two billion people, remains the biggest gig in the history of rock and pop.
WIN!... in our 40 Years of Live Aid survey!
July 13th 1985 was "the day the music changed the world"... as one concert - on a scale never seen before - took place across two continents, - in Wembley Stadium, London and John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia. Live Aid, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further for the relief of the devastating 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, was watched by over 90% of the televisions on earth - and was the follow-up to the release of the successf…
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