Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a movement that started with the release of the successful charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984. Billed as the "global jukebox", Live Aid was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.
On the same day, concerts inspired by the initiative were held in other countries, such as the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Yugoslavia, Austria, Australia, and West Germany. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time; an estimated audience of 1.9 billion, in 150 nations watched the live broadcast, nearly 40 percent of the world population.
The impact of Live Aid on famine relief has been debated for years. One aid relief worker stated that following the publicity generated by the concert, "humanitarian concern is now at the centre of foreign policy" for Western governments. Geldof has said, "We took an issue that was nowhere on the political agenda and, through the lingua franca of the planet – which is not English but rock 'n' roll – we were able to address the intellectual absurdity and the moral repulsion of people dying of want in a world of surplus." In another interview he stated that Live Aid "created something permanent and self-sustaining" but also asked why Africa is getting poorer.
The organisers of Live Aid tried to run aid efforts directly, channelling millions of pounds to NGOs in Ethiopia. It has been alleged that much of this went to the Ethiopian government of Mengistu Haile Mariam – a regime the UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opposed – and it is also alleged some funds were spent on guns. Although the BBC World Service programme Assignment reported in March 2010 that the funds had been diverted, the BBC Editorial Complaints Unit later found "that there was no evidence to support such statements". Brian Barder, British Ambassador to Ethiopia from 1982 to 1986, wrote on his website that "the diversion of aid related only to the tiny proportion that was supplied by some NGOs to rebel-held areas".
Performances[]
Wembley Stadium, London, U.K.[]
| Artist | Song(s) |
|---|---|
| Coldstream Guards | "Royal Salute" "God Save the Queen" (first six bars) |
| Status Quo | "Rockin' All Over the World" "Caroline" "Don't Waste My Time" |
| The Style Council | "You're the Best Thing" "Big Boss Groove" "Internationalists" "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" |
| The Boomtown Rats | "I Don't Like Mondays" "Drag Me Down" "Rat Trap" |
| Adam Ant | "Vive Le Rock" |
| Ultravox | "Reap the Wild Wind" "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" "One Small Day "Vienna" |
| Spandau Ballet | "Only When You Leave" "Virgin" "True" |
| Elvis Costello | "All You Need Is Love" |
| Nik Kershaw | "Wide Boy" "Don Quixote" "The Riddle" "Wouldn't It Be Good" |
| Sade | "Why Can't We Live Together" "Your Love Is King" "Is It a Crime?" |
| Sting Phil Collins Branford Marsalis |
"Roxanne" (Sting) "Driven to Tears" (Sting) "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins) "Message in a Bottle" (Sting) "In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins) "Long Long Way to Go" (both) "Every Breath You Take" (both) |
| Howard Jones | "Hide and Seek" |
| Bryan Ferry | "Sensation" "Boys and Girls" "Slave to Love" "Jealous Guy"(with David Gilmour as backing guitarist) |
| Paul Young | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (intro) "Come Back and Stay" "That's the Way Love Is" (with Alison Moyet) "Everytime You Go Away" |
| U2 | "Sunday Bloody Sunday" "Bad" (with snippets of "Satellite of Love", "Ruby Tuesday", "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Walk on the Wild Side") |
| Dire Straits | "Money for Nothing" (with Sting) "Sultans of Swing" |
| Queen | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (excerpt) "Radio Ga-Ga" "Ay-Oh" "Hammer to Fall" "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "We Will Rock You" "We Are the Champions" |
| David Bowie | "TVC 15" "Rebel Rebel" "Modern Love" "Heroes" |
| The Who | "My Generation" "Pinball Wizard" "Love, Reign o'er Me" "Won't Get Fooled Again" |
| Elton John | "I'm Still Standing" "Bennie and the Jets" "Rocket Man" "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with Wham!) "Can I Get a Witness" |
| Freddie Mercury Brian May |
"Is This the World We Created...?" |
| Paul McCartney | "Let It Be" (with David Bowie, Bob Geldof, Alison Moyet and Pete Townshend) |
| Band Aid | "Don't They Know It's Christmas?" |
John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia, U.S.[]
| Artist | Song(s) |
|---|---|
| Bernard Watson | "All I Really Want to Do" "Interview" |
| Joan Baez | "Amazing Grace" "We Are the World" |
| The Hooters | "And We Danced" "All You Zombies" |
| Four Tops | "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" "Bernadette" "It's the Same Old Song" "Reach Out I'll Be There" "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" |
| Billy Ocean | "Caribbean Queen" "Lover Boy" |
| Black Sabbath | "Children of the Grave" "Iron Man" "Paranoid" |
| Run–D.M.C. | "Jam Master Jay" "King of Rock" |
| Rick Springfield | "Love Somebody" "State of the Heart" "Human Touch" |
| REO Speedwagon | "Can't Fight This Feeling" "Roll with the Changes" |
| Crosby, Stills and Nash | "Southern Cross" "Teach Your Children" "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" |
| Judas Priest | "Living After Midnight" "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" |
| Bryan Adams | "Kids Wanna Rock" "Summer of '69" "Tears Are Not Enough" "Cuts Like a Knife" |
| The Beach Boys | "California Girls" "Help Me, Rhonda" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" "Good Vibrations" "Surfin' U.S.A." |
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers | "Who Do You Love?" (with Bo Diddley) "The Sky Is Crying" "Madison Blues" (with Albert Collins) |
| Simple Minds | "Ghost Dancing" "Don't You (Forget About Me)" "Promised You a Miracle" |
| Pretenders | "Time the Avenger" "Message of Love" "Stop Your Sobbing" "Back on the Chain Gang" "Middle of the Road" |
| Santana | "Brotherhood" "Primera Invasion" "Open Invitation" "By the Pool" "Right Now" (with Pat Metheny) |
| Ashford & Simpson | "Solid" "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" (with Teddy Pendergrass) |
| Madonna | "Holiday" "Into the Groove" "Love Makes the World Go Round" (with Thompson Twins and Nile Rodgers) |
| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | "American Girl" "The Waiting" "Rebels" "Refugee" |
| Kenny Loggins | "Footloose" |
| The Cars | "You Might Think" "Drive" "Just What I Needed" "Heartbeat City" |
| Neil Young | "Sugar Mountain" "The Needle and the Damage Done" "Helpless" "Nothing Is Perfect (In God's Perfect Plan)" "Powderfinger" |
| The Power Station | "Murderess" "Get It On" |
| Thompson Twins | "Hold Me Now" "Revolution" (with Madonna, Steve Stevens and Nile Rodgers) |
| Eric Clapton | "White Room" "She's Waiting" "Layla" (with Phil Collins) |
| Phil Collins | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" "In the Air Tonight" |
| Led Zeppelin | "Rock and Roll" "Whole Lotta Love" "Stairway to Heaven" (with Phil Collins) |
| Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" "Daylight Again/Find the Cost of Freedom" |
| Duran Duran | "A View to a Kill" "Union of the Snake" "Save a Prayer" "The Reflex" |
| Patti LaBelle | "New Attitude" "Imagine" "Forever Young" "Stir It Up" "Over the Rainbow" "Why Can't I Get It Over" |
| Hall & Oates | "Out of Touch" "Maneater" "Get Ready" (with Eddie Kendricks) "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (with David Ruffin) "The Way You Do the Things You Do" "My Girl" (with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin) |
| Mick Jagger | "Lonely at the Top" "Just Another Night" "Miss You" "State of Shock" (with Tina Turner) "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It) (Reprise)" (with Tina Turner) |
| Bob Dylan Keith Richards Ronnie Wood |
"Ballad of Hollis Brown" "When the Ship Comes In" "Blowin' in the Wind" |
other locations[]
| Artist | Song(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oz for Africa | various (depends on the broadcaster) | Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Loudness | "Gotta Fight" | Unknown studio with Japanese performers |
| Off Course | "Endless Night" | |
| Takako Shirai | "Foolish War" | |
| Eikichi Yazawa | "Take It Time" | |
| Motoharu Sano | "Shame" | |
| Meiko Nakahara | "Ro-Ro-Ro-Russian Roulette" | |
| Austria für Afrika | "Warum?" | Vienna, Austria |
| B.B. King | "When It All Comes Down" "Why I Sing the Blues" "Don't Answer the Door" "Rock Me Baby" |
North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hague, Netherlands |
| YU Rock Misija | "Za milion godina" | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Autograph | "Golovokruzhenie" "Nam nuzhen mir" |
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Band für Afrika | "Nackt Im Wind" "Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)" |
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Stavanger for Africa | "All of Us" | Norway |
| Forente Artister | "Sammen for Livet" | |
| Kool & the Gang | "Stand Up and Sing" "Cherish" |
Unknown studio |
| Cliff Richard | "A World of Difference" | London, England, United Kingdom |
Presenters[]
London[]
- Richard Skinner - opened the show and introduced Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales
- Tommy Vance - introduced Coldstream Guards, Status Quo, the Style Council, the Boomtown Rats, Nik Kershaw and Dire Straits
- Harvey Goldsmith - introduced Adam Ant
- Andy Peebles - introduced Spandau Ballet, Elvis Costello, Noel Edmonds, Howard Jones, Bryan Ferry, Paul Young, Griff Rhys Jones with Mel Smith and David Bowie
- Noel Edmonds - introduced Sting with Phil Collins
- Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith - introduced Queen
- Jack Nicholson and Tommy Vance - introduced U2 and The Who
- Billy Connolly - introduced Elton John
- John Hurt - introduced Freddie Mercury and Brian May
Philadelphia[]
- Bill Graham - introduced Jack Nicholson (before his first and last appearance), Chevy Chase w/Joe Piscopo, Marilyn McCoo, Dire Straits, Santana, Bette Midler, Don Johnson, Eric Clapton and Dionne Warwick
- Jack Nicholson - introduced Joan Baez, U2, Bryan Adams, the Who and Bob Dylan
- Chevy Chase and Joe Piscopo - introduced The Hooters
- Chevy Chase - introduced Four Tops, Billy Ocean, Black Sabbath, REO Speedwagon, Judas Priest, David Bowie, Kenny Loggins and Duran Duran
- Joe Piscopo - introduced Run-D.M.C., Rick Springfield, Simple Minds and Neil Young
- Marilyn McCoo - introduced The Beach Boys
- George Segal - introduced George Thorogood and the Destroyers
- Grace Slick - introduced The Pretenders
- Bette Midler - introduced Madonna, Thompson Twins, Patti LaBelle, Mick Jagger and The Cars
- Don Johnson - introduced Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Power Station
- Jack Nicholson and Bette Midler - introduced Phil Collins
- Phil Collins - introduced Led Zeppelin
- Dionne Warwick - introduced Hall & Oates
other locations[]
- Molly Meldrum - introduced Oz for Africa
- Mladen Popović - introduced YU Rock Misija
- Vladimir Posner - introduced Autograph and made a speech between their performances
- Evelyn Sebert and Ken Janz - introduced Band für Afrika
- Udo Lindenberg - made a speech between the Band für Afrika performances
- Andy Kershaw - introduced Cliff Richard
Broadcast[]
| Country | Network(s) |
|---|---|
| Australia | ABC-TV |
| Austria | FS2 |
| Belgium | Télé 2, BRT TV2 |
| Canada | CTV, MuchMusic |
| Denmark | DR TV |
| France | Antenne 2 |
| Hong Kong | TVB Pearl |
| Iceland | Sjónvarpið |
| Ireland | RTÉ 1 |
| Italy | Rai Tre |
| Japan | Fuji TV |
| Netherlands | Nederland 1 (NOS/VARA) |
| Netherlands Antilles | TeleCuraçao |
| New Zealand | TV2 |
| Norway | NRK Fjernsynet |
| Portugal | RTP1 |
| Puerto Rico | TeleOro Canal 13 |
| South Korea | MBC |
| Spain | TVE 1, TVE 2 |
| Switzerland | TV DRS 2, TSR, Radio DRS 3, Couleur 3 |
| United Kingdom | BBC2, BBC1, BBC Radio 1, BFBS 1 |
| United States | ABC, MTV |
| West Germany | BR, HR, NDR, Radio Bremen, SDR, SFB, SR, SWF, WDR |
| Yugoslavia | TV Beograd 2, TV Ljubljana 1, TV Ljubljana 2, TV Pristina, TV Sarajevo 2, TV Skopje 2, TV Titograd 2, TV Zagreb 2 |