Live 8 (French: En direct 8, German: Live 8, Italian: Vivi 8, Japanese: ライブ8 (romanised: Raibu 8), Russian: Прямой эфир 8 (romanised: Pryamoy efir 8)) was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005. Both events also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid. Run in support of the aims of the UK's Make Poverty History campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, ten simultaneous concerts were held on 2 July and one on 6 July. On 7 July, the G8 leaders pledged to double 2004 levels of aid to poor nations from US$25 billion to US$50 billion by 2010. Half of the money was to go to Africa. More than 1,000 musicians performed at the concerts, which were broadcast on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks.
Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof announced the event on 31 May. Many former Live Aid acts offered their services to the cause. Prior to the official announcement of the event, many news sources referred to the event as Live Aid 2. However, Geldof and co-organiser Midge Ure have since explicitly said they do not think of the event as the same as Live Aid. On an episode of BBC Two music-based comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, which aired on 2 March 2006, The Cribs frontman Ryan Jarman said he had texted Geldof to suggest that a "Live Aid 2" would be a good idea. However, after organising the event, Geldof said: "This is not Live Aid 2. These concerts are the start point for The Long Walk To Justice, the one way we can all make our voices heard in unison." Many of the Live 8 backers were also involved in the largely forgotten NetAid concerts, including Executive Producer Jeff Pollack.
Organisers of Live 8 presented the "Live 8 List" to the world leaders at the Live 8 call that politicians take action to "Make Poverty History". Names from the list also appeared on the giant televisions at each concert during the broadcast.
An official Live 8 DVD set was released on 7 November 2005 internationally and 8 November 2005 in the United States.
Performances[]
2 July 2005[]
| Location | Artist | Song(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Hyde Park, London, England, United Kingdom | Paul McCartney U2 |
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" |
| U2 | "Beautiful Day"/"Blackbird" "Vertigo"/"Feuer frei!" "One"/"Unchained Melody" | |
| Coldplay | "In My Place/Rockin' All Over the World (chorus)" "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (with Richard Ashcroft) "Fix You" | |
| Elton John | "The Bitch Is Back" "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" "Children of the Revolution" (with Pete Doherty) | |
| Dido | "White Flag" "Thank You" (with Youssou N'Dour) "7 Seconds" (with Youssou N'Dour) | |
| Stereophonics | "The Bartender and the Thief/Ace of Spades (chorus)" "Dakota" "Maybe Tomorrow" "Local Boy in the Photograph" | |
| R.E.M. | "Imitation of Life" "Everybody Hurts" "Man on the Moon" | |
| Ms. Dynamite | "Dy-na-mi-tee" "Redemption Song" | |
| Keane | "Somewhere Only We Know" "Bedshaped" | |
| Travis | "Sing" "Side"/"Stayin' Alive" "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" | |
| Bob Geldof | "I Don't Like Mondays" | |
| Annie Lennox | "Why" "Little Bird" "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" | |
| UB40 | "Food For Thought" "Who You Fighting For?" "Reasons" (with Hunterz & The Dhol Blasters) "Red Red Wine" "Can't Help Falling in Love" | |
| Snoop Dogg | "Ups & Downs" "Drop It Like It's Hot" "Signs" "The Next Episode" "Who Am I (What's My Name?)" | |
| Razorlight | "1913 Massacre"/"Somewhere Else" "Golden Touch" "In The City" | |
| Madonna | "Like a Prayer" "Ray of Light" "Music" | |
| Snow Patrol | "Chocolate" "Run" | |
| The Killers | "All These Things That I've Done" | |
| Joss Stone | "Super Duper Love" "I Had a Dream" "Some Kind of Wonderful" | |
| Scissor Sisters | "Laura" "Take Your Mama" "Everybody Wants the Same Thing" | |
| Velvet Revolver | "Do It for the Kids" "Fall To Pieces" "Mountain Song/Slither" | |
| Sting | "Message in a Bottle" "Driven To Tears" "Every Breath You Take" (with alternative lyrics) | |
| Mariah Carey | "Make It Happen" "Hero" (with African Children's Choir) "We Belong Together" | |
| Robbie Williams | "We Will Rock You" "Let Me Entertain You" "Feel" "Angels" | |
| Peter Kay | comedy performance "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (acapella performance) | |
| The Who | "Who Are You" "Won't Get Fooled Again" | |
| Pink Floyd | "Speak to Me"/"Breathe" segued with "Breathe (reprise)" "Money" "Wish You Were Here" "Comfortably Numb" | |
| Paul McCartney | "Get Back" "Drive My Car" (with George Michael) "Helter Skelter" "The Long and Winding Road"/"Hey Jude [refrain]" | |
| Palace of Versailles, Paris, France | Passi | "Reviens dans me vie" |
| Faudel | "Je Veux Vivre" | |
| Magic System | "Bouger Bouger" | |
| Alpha Blondy | "Cocody Rock" "Sweet Fanta Diallo" "Brigadier Sabari" | |
| Tina Arena Craig David |
"Come Together" | |
| Muse | "Hysteria" "Bliss" "Time Is Running Out" "Plug In Baby" | |
| Kyo | "Contact" "Qui Je Suis" | |
| M Pokora | "Elle Me Contrôle" | |
| Andrea Bocelli Philharmonie der Nationen |
"O Surdato 'nnammurato" "The Prayer" | |
| Diam's Amel Bent |
"Marine" | |
| Raphael | "Caravane" | |
| Shakira | "Whenever, Wherever" "La Tortura" | |
| Yannick Noah | "Metisse" (with Disiz La Peste) "Saga Africa" "La Voix Des Sages" | |
| Tina Arena | "Aller Plus Haut" | |
| Raphael | "Ne Partons Pas Faches" | |
| Diam's | "Suzy" | |
| Calogero | "Prendre racine" "Face A La Mer" (with Passi) | |
| Amel Bent | "Ma philosophie" | |
| Craig David | "All The Way" "Fill Me In" | |
| David Hallyday | "Le Defi" "My Sharona" | |
| Louis Bertignac | "Je joue" "Cendrillon" | |
| Ceronne Nile Rodgers |
"Supernature" (with Axelle Red) | |
| Axelle Red | "J'ai fait un rêve" "Le Monde Tourne Mal" | |
| Florent Pagny | "Une Nube Blanca" "Guide me home" (with Patricia Petitbon) | |
| Placebo | "The Bitter End" "Twenty Years" | |
| Zucchero | "Everybody's Gotta" "Il Volo" "Diavolo In Me" | |
| The Cure | "Open" "One Hundred Years" "End" "Just Like Heaven" "Boys Don't Cry" | |
| Youssou N'Dour | "7 Seconds" (with Dido) "Africa" | |
| Berlin Victory Column, Berlin, Germany | Die Toten Hosen | "Wünsch Dir Was" "Pushed Again" "Steh Auf, Wenn Du Am Boden Bist" "Show Everyone You're Here" "Hang On Sloopy" |
| Wir sind Helden | "Nur Ein Wort" "Denkmal" "Bist Du Nicht Müde" | |
| Söhne Mannheims | "Jah Is Changing All" "Babylon System" | |
| Katherine Jenkins | "Amazing Grace" | |
| BAP | "Wie Schön Dat Wöhr" "Verdamp Lang Her" | |
| Audioslave | "Doesn't Remind Me" "Dedication To What Is Right" "Black Hole Sun" "Like a Stone" "Killing in the Name" | |
| Green Day | "American Idiot" "Holiday" "Minority" "We Are the Champions" | |
| Juli | "Geile Zeit" "Perfekte Welle" | |
| Silbermond | "Zeit für Optimisten" "Durch die Nacht" | |
| Chris de Burgh | "The Road To Freedom" "Lebanese Night" "The Lady In Red" "Don't Pay the Ferryman" | |
| Brian Wilson | "Wonderful" "Our Prayer/Gee" "Heroes and Villains" "God Only Knows" "California Girls" "Good Vibrations" "Fun Fun Fun" | |
| Renee Olstead | "My Baby Just Cares for Me" | |
| Sasha | "If You Believe" "Hard to Handle" "Turn It Into Something Special" | |
| a-ha | "Take On Me" "Summer Moved On" "Hunting High And Low" | |
| Daniel Powter | "Bad Day" "Song 6" | |
| Joana Zimmer | "I Believe (Give A Little Bit)" | |
| Juan Diego Flórez | "You'll Never Walk Alone" | |
| Reamonn | "Hallelujah" "Alright" | |
| Roxy Music | "Virginia Plain" "Love Is the Drug" "Do the Strand" "Jealous Guy" | |
| Faithless | "Mass Destruction" "We Come 1" | |
| Herbert Grönemeyer | "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" "Mensch" "Bleibt Alles Anders" "Flugzeuge im Bauch" "Bochum" "Heimat" | |
| Otto | "Piano Man" | |
| Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy | Zucchero | "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" "Overdose d'amore" "Diavolo in me" |
| Duran Duran | "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" "Ordinary World" "Save a Prayer" "The Wild Boys" | |
| Elisa | "Luce (Tramonti a Nord Est)" "Una poesia anche per te" | |
| Negrita | "Un Mare Di Noia" "Storia Di Mary" "Rotolando Verso Sud" "Cambio" | |
| Negramaro | "Mentre Tutto Scorre" "Nuvole E Lenzuola" "Estate" | |
| Tim McGraw | "Drugs or Jesus" "Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| Faith Hill | "Mississippi Girl" "Breathe" "Piece of My Heart" | |
| Planet Funk | "Ultraviolet Boys" "Stop Me" "The Switch" | |
| Le Vibrazoni | "Sono Più Sereno" "Vieni Da Me" "Aspettando" | |
| Irene Grandi | "Per fare l'amore" "Santissima Janis" | |
| Tiromancino | "Imparare dal vento" "Nessuna certezza" "È necessario" | |
| Max Pezzali | "La dura legge del gol" "Come mai" "Hanno ucciso l'Uomo Ragno" | |
| Alex Britti | "Gelido" "7000 caffè" | |
| Cesare Cremonini | "Padre madre" "50 Special" | |
| Nek | "Almeno stavolta" "Se io non avessi Te" "Lascia che io sia" | |
| Piero Pelù | "Io ci sarò" "Bomba boomerang" "Fela Kuti Improv" | |
| Biagio Antonacci | "Immagina" "Liberatemi" "Se io se lei" "Non ci facciamo compagnia" | |
| Fiorella Mannoia | "Sally" "Clandestino" "Mio fratello che guardi il mondo" | |
| Ligabue | "Non è tempo per noi" "Urlando contro Il cielo" "Il mio nome è mai più" (with Jovanotti and Piero Pelù) | |
| Jovanotti | "Una tribù che balla" "L'ombelico del mondo" | |
| Laura Pausini | "Un'emergenza d'amore" "Come se non fosse stato mai amore" "Il Mondo Che Vorrei" "Tra Te E Il Mare" | |
| Claudio Baglioni | "Le mani e l'anima" "Strada facendo" "La vita è adesso" "Avrai" | |
| Renato Zero | "Cercami" "Nei giardini che nessuno sa" "I migliori anni della nostra vita" | |
| Antonello Venditti | "Che fantastica stora è la vita" "Ci vorrebbe un amico" "Roma capoccia" | |
| Noa | "Beauty Of That" "Eye In The Sky" | |
| Povia | "I Bambini fanno oh" "Fiori" | |
| Velvet | "Il mondo è fuori" "Search And Destroy" | |
| Pagani African Drum Collective |
"Heanda" "Stuck Is Stuck" | |
| Articolo 31 | ||
| Gemelli Diversi | "Un altro ballo" "Mary" | |
| Pino Daniele | ||
| Francesco De Gregori | "L'agnello di Dio" "La donna cannone" "La storia siamo noi" | |
| Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Kaiser Chiefs | "I Predict a Riot" "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" "Oh My God" |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "Where Is the Love?" "Let's Get It Started" "Don't Phunk with My Heart" "Get Up, Stand Up" (with Rita Marley and Stephen Marley) | |
| Bon Jovi | "Livin' on a Prayer" "Have a Nice Day" "It's My Life" | |
| Destiny's Child | "Survivor" "Say My Name" "Girl/I'll Take You There" | |
| Kanye West | "Diamonds (From Sierra Leone)" "All Falls Down" "Jesus Walks" | |
| Will Smith DJ Jazzy Jeff |
"The Champ Is Here/Whose House" "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" "Switch" "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" "Summertime" | |
| Toby Keith | "Beer for My Horses" "Whiskey Girl" "Stays in Mexico" | |
| Dave Matthews Band | "Don't Drink the Water" "Dreamgirl" "American Baby" "Anyone Seen the Bridge?" "Too Much" | |
| Alicia Keys | "For All We Know" | |
| Black Ice | "Young Girls" (poem) | |
| Linkin Park | "Crawling" "Somewhere I Belong" "Breaking the Habit" "In the End" | |
| Linkin Park Jay-Z |
"Public Service Announcement - Intro" "Dirt off Your Shoulder/Lying from You" "Big Pimpin'/Papercut "Jigga What/Faint" "Numb/Encore" | |
| DJ Green Lantern | DJ set | |
| Def Leppard | "Pour Some Sugar on Me" "No Matter What" "Rock of Ages" | |
| Jars of Clay | "Show You Love" "Flood" | |
| Lemon | poem reading | |
| Sarah McLachlan | "Fallen" "World on Fire" "Angel" (with Josh Groban) | |
| Maroon 5 | "Harder to Breathe" "This Love" "She Will Be Loved" "Rockin' in the Free World" | |
| Keith Urban | "Days Go By" "You'll Think of Me" "Another Day in Paradise" "Somebody Like You" | |
| Rob Thomas | "...Something to Be" "Lonely No More" "3 A.M./The Joker" "This Is How a Heart Breaks" | |
| Stevie Wonder | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" "Higher Ground" (with Rob Thomas) "A Time to Love" "Shelter in the Rain" "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (with Adam Levine) "So What the Fuss" "Superstition" | |
| Park Place, Barrie, Ontario, Canada | Tom Cochrane | "Life Is A Highway" "No Regrets" |
| Sam Roberts | "Brother Down" "Bridge To Nowhere" "Hard Road" | |
| Bryan Adams | "Back To You" "Open Road" "This Side Of Paradise" "All for Love/Tears Are Not Enough" | |
| DobaCaracol K'naan |
"Nakilé" "Amazone" "Anda" "Soobax" "Until The Lion Learns To Speak" | |
| Simple Plan | "Shut Up!" "Jump" "Addicted" "Welcome to My Life" | |
| Bruce Cockburn | "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" "Call It Democracy" "Waiting For A Miracle" | |
| Les Trois Accords | "Hawaiienne" "Loin D'ici" "Turbo Sympathique" | |
| Randy Bachman & The Carpet Frogs | "Hey You" "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" "Takin' Care of Business" | |
| Deep Purple | "Highway Star" "Smoke on the Water" "Hush" | |
| African Guitar Summit | ||
| Great Big Sea | "Donkey Riding" "Excursion Around The Bay" | |
| Celine Dion | "Love Can Move Mountains" | |
| Blue Rodeo | "Heart Like Mine" "Try" "Are You Ready" | |
| Gordon Lightfoot | "Restless" "If You Could Read My Mind" "Let It Ride" | |
| Our Lady Peace | "Bird on the Wire" "Where Are You" "Innocent" | |
| Jet | "You're Like This" "Look What You've Done" "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" | |
| Jann Arden | "Where No One Knows Me" "Willing To Fall Down" "Good Mother" | |
| Mötley Crüe | "Kickstart My Heart" "Home Sweet Home" "Dr. Feelgood" | |
| The Tragically Hip | "My Music at Work" "Ahead By A Century" "Poets" (with Dan Aykroyd) | |
| DMC | "Machine Gun" "All Along the Watchtower" "Walk This Way" | |
| Barenaked Ladies | "Brian Wilson" "If I Had $1,000,000" | |
| Neil Young | "Four Strong Winds" (with Pegi Young) "When God Made Me" "Rockin' in the Free World" "O Canada" | |
| Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan | Rize | |
| McFly | "I've Got You" "That Girl" "I'll Be OK" "All About You" "5 Colours In Her Hair" "Obviously" | |
| Good Charlotte | "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" "The Anthem" "We Believe" | |
| Dreams Come True | "Mascara Matsuge (Mascara Eyelashes)" "Asahi no Senrei (Morning Baptism)" "Olá! Vitória!" "Nando demo" "Love Love Love (English Version)" | |
| Do As Infinity | "For the future" "Tooku Made" "TAO" "Need Your Love" "Boukensha Tachi" "Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari" | |
| Def Tech | ||
| Björk | "Pagan Poetry" "All Is Full of Love" "Desired Constellation" "Jóga" "Hyperballad" "Generous Palmstroke" "Bachelorette" "It's in Our Hands" | |
| Mary Fitzgerald Square, Johannesburg, South Africa | Jabu Khanyile & Bayete | |
| Lindiwe | ||
| Lucky Dube | "Feel Irie" | |
| Mahotella Queens | ||
| Malaika | "Destiny" | |
| Orchestra Baobab | Medley | |
| Oumou Sangaré | ||
| Zola | ||
| Vusi Mahlasela | "When You Come Back" | |
| Red Square, Moscow, Russia | Agatha Christie | "Триллер" (The Thriller) "Ковёр-самолёт" (The Magic Carpet) "Сказочная тайга" (The Fairy Taiga) "Как на войне" (Like At War) |
| Bi-2 | ||
| Bravo | ||
| Dolphin | ||
| Douglas Vale | "Popular" "A Little While" "Crush...Interrupted" "En El Tunel" | |
| Jungo | ||
| Linda | ||
| Moral Code X | ||
| Red Elvises | "I Wanna See You Bellydance" "Ticket To Japan" "Kosmonaut Petrov" | |
| Splean | ||
| Garik Sukachev | ||
| Valery Sutkin | ||
| Aliona Sviridova | ||
| Pet Shop Boys | "It's a Sin" "Suburbia" "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" "Domino Dancing" "New York City Boy" "Always on My Mind" "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" "West End Girls" "Left to My Own Devices" "Go West" | |
| Eden Project, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom ("Africa Calling") | Ayub Ogada Uno |
|
| Mariza | ||
| Thomas Mapfumo The Blacks Unlimited |
||
| Coco Mbassi | ||
| Modou Diouf O Fogum |
||
| Youssou N'Dour Le Super Étoile de Dakar (duet with Dido) |
||
| Geoffrey Oryema | ||
| Angelique Kidjo | ||
| Tinariwen | ||
| Kanda Bongo Man | ||
| Daara J | ||
| Chartwell Dutiro | ||
| Maryam Mursal | ||
| Shikisha | ||
| Siyaya | ||
| Emmanuel Jal | ||
| Ayub Ogada | ||
| Frititi | ||
| Akim El Sikameya |
6 July 2005[]
| Location | Artist | Song(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom ("Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push") |
The Proclaimers | "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" |
| Jamie Cullum | "All You Need Is Love" (with Natasha Bedingfield) | |
| Natasha Bedingfield | "These Words" (with Jamie Cullum) | |
| Wet Wet Wet | "With a Little Help from My Friends" "Love Is All Around" (with instrumentals from "Scotland the Brave" and "Loch Lomond") | |
| Peter Kay | "Top of the World" | |
| McFly | "All About You" | |
| 1 Giant Leap | "My Culture" | |
| Eddie Izzard | "Flower of Scotland" | |
| Sugababes | "Stronger" | |
| Annie Lennox | "Redemption Song" "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" | |
| Bob Geldof Campino |
"The Great Song of Indifference" "Rat Trap" | |
| The Thrills | "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)" | |
| Midge Ure | "Vienna" (with Eddie Izzard on piano and Troy Donockley on bouzouki) | |
| Feeder | "Buck Rogers" | |
| Youssou N'Dour Neneh Cherry |
"7 Seconds" | |
| Chris Barrie the cast of The Brittas Empire |
comedy sketch | |
| Embrace | "Ashes" | |
| Beverley Knight | ||
| Texas | "Inner Smile" "Say What You Want" | |
| Katherine Jenkins | "Nessun dorma" | |
| Snow Patrol | "Run" | |
| Travis | "Driftwood" "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" | |
| The Corrs | "Breathless" "When the Stars Go Blue" (with Bono) | |
| James Brown | "I Feel Good" "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" "Sex Machine" (with Will Young) |
Hosts and presenters[]
London[]
- Bob Geldof (host)
- Jonathan Ross (introduction)
- David Wailliams and Matt Luas (as Lou and Andy)
- Bill Gates
- Ricky Gervais
- Kofi Annan (Secretary-General of the United Nations)
- Will Smith
- Brad Pitt
- Birhan Woldu
- Lenny Henry
- Dawn French
- David Beckham
Paris[]
- Laurent Boyer
- Will Smith
- Solidarite Sida
Berlin[]
- Anne Will (host)
- Michael Mittermeier (host)
- Claudia Schiffer (host)
- Jürgen Klinsmann (host)
Rome[]
- Jane Alexander
- Paola Cortellesi
- Mayor of Lampedusa
Philadelphia[]
- Will Smith (host)
- Don Cheadle
- Chris Tucker
- Jimmy Smits
- Dhani Jones and Philadelphia Eagles players
- Natalie Portman
- Seth MacFarlane
- Jennifer Connelly
- Kami
- Bob Costas
- Naomi Watts
- Richard Gere
Barrie[]
- Dan Aykroyd (host)
- Tom Green (host)
Johannesburg[]
- Nelson Mandela (former President of South Africa; host)
Eden Project[]
- Peter Gabriel (host)
- Johnny Kalsi (host)
Edinburgh[]
- Lenny Henry (host)
- Davina McCall
- Eddie Izzard
- Bono
- Nelson Mandela (former President of South Africa)
- George Clooney
- Coumi Nidu
- Susan Sarandon
- Claudia Schiffer
- Herbert Grönemeyer
- Chris Evans
- Wangari Maathai
- Ronan Keating
Broadcasters[]
| Country | Network(s) |
|---|---|
| International | AOL |
| Australia | Nine Network, Fox8, Austereo Network, Triple M |
| Austria | ATVplus |
| Belgium | JIMtv |
| Brazil | MTV |
| Canada | CTV |
| Czech Republic | ČT2 |
| Denmark | DR1, DR2 |
| Finland | YLE TV1, YLE TV2, YLE Teema |
| France | M6 |
| Germany | EinsFestival, EinsPlus, Das Erste |
| Ireland | RTÉ Two, RTÉ One |
| Israel | Israel 10 |
| Italy | Rai 3, Sky Italia |
| Japan | Fuji TV, Fuji TV Two |
| Netherlands | Nederland 3 |
| Norway | NRK1, NRK2 |
| Poland | TVN |
| Spain | La 2 |
| Sweden | SVT1, SVT2 |
| Switzerland | SF2 |
| United Kingdom | BBC Two, BBC One, BBC Three |
| United States | MTV, MTV2, MTVU, VH1, CMT, VH1 Classic, ABC, XM Satellite Radio |