Live Aid

Live Aid
source
Name	Live Aid
Location	Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium
Date	July 13, 1985
Attendees	72,000 (Wembley) and 89,484 (JFK)

Live Aid was a dual-venue benefit concert held on July 13, 1985, at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, featuring performances by Queen, U2, David Bowie, The Who, and Elton John, among others, to raise funds for the victims of the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in response to the devastating famine in Ethiopia, which had been highlighted by a BBC News report by Michael Buerk and Mohammed Amin. The concert was attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and was broadcast live on BBC One and MTV to an estimated global audience of 1.5 billion people in United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, China, and other countries.

Background

The idea for Live Aid was conceived by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure after they watched a BBC News report on the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine, which had been exacerbated by a combination of factors, including a Soviet Union-backed Mengistu Haile Mariam regime, Derg-led Red Terror, and a severe drought in the Horn of Africa. The report, which featured footage of starving children and adults, was narrated by Michael Buerk and filmed by Mohammed Amin, and it shocked Bob Geldof and Midge Ure into action, prompting them to organize a charity single, Do They Know It's Christmas?, featuring Bono, Phil Collins, Sting, George Michael, and other prominent UK musicians, including Status Quo, David Gilmour, and Brian May. The single was released in December 1984 and became a huge success, selling over 3.7 million copies in the United Kingdom alone and raising awareness about the crisis in Ethiopia, which had also been highlighted by Amnesty International, Oxfam, and other humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF and Red Cross.

Organization

The organization of Live Aid was a massive undertaking, involving a team of volunteers, technicians, and musicians, including Harvey Goldsmith, Trevor Dann, and Andy Kershaw, who worked tirelessly to bring the event together in just a few weeks, with support from BBC, MTV, and other media outlets, such as The Times, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone. The event was staged at two venues, Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, with a combined audience of over 160,000 people, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who attended the Wembley Stadium concert, and Ronald Reagan, who watched the event from the White House. The concerts featured a diverse range of performers, including Queen, U2, David Bowie, The Who, and Elton John, as well as Madonna, Tom Petty, and Neil Young, who were introduced by Jack Nicholson, Burt Lancaster, and other celebrities, including Billy Connolly and Mel Smith.

Performances

The performances at Live Aid were memorable and historic, with many artists delivering standout sets, including Queen, who performed a iconic rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody and Radio Ga Ga, and U2, who played a haunting version of Bad and Pride (In the Name of Love), with Bono and The Edge joined on stage by Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones. Other notable performances included David Bowie's rendition of Rebel Rebel and Let's Dance, The Who's performance of My Generation and Won't Get Fooled Again, and Elton John's set, which featured I'm Still Standing and Rocket Man, with Kiki Dee and George Michael joining him on stage, along with Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler. The concerts also featured performances by Dire Straits, Sting, and Phil Collins, who played a set at both Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium, with the help of Concorde, which flew him across the Atlantic Ocean in just under 4 hours.

Impact

The impact of Live Aid was immediate and profound, with the event raising over $150 million for the victims of the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine and bringing attention to the crisis in Ethiopia, which had been largely ignored by the international community, despite efforts by UNICEF, Oxfam, and other humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International and Red Cross. The event also had a significant impact on the music industry, with many artists using their platforms to raise awareness about social and political issues, including Bono, who became a prominent advocate for AIDS research and debt relief in Africa, and Bob Geldof, who continued to work on humanitarian projects, including Band Aid and Live 8, which was held in London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome in 2005. The event also inspired a new generation of musicians, including Coldplay, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys, who have followed in the footsteps of Live Aid performers, such as Queen, U2, and David Bowie.

Legacy

The legacy of Live Aid is enduring, with the event remembered as one of the most significant and influential concerts in history, alongside Woodstock and Isle of Wight Festival, and a testament to the power of music to bring people together and make a difference, as seen in events like Live 8 and One Love Manchester, which was organized by Ariana Grande in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. The event has also been recognized as a cultural phenomenon, with Live Aid-themed exhibitions and documentaries, including Live Aid: The Day the Music Changed the World and When Harvey Met Bob, which tell the story of the event and its impact on the world, including the United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, China, and other countries, where the concert was watched by an estimated 1.5 billion people, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Deng Xiaoping. Category:Benefit concerts