Sunday, July 13, will mark the 40th anniversary of the historic and star-packed Live Aid concert, which was held in London at Wembley Stadium and in Philadelphia at John F. Kennedy Stadium.
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In celebration of the anniversary, the 80s Central internet radio station will rebroadcast the entire concert without commercials, starting that day at 8 a.m. ET. The event will feature the entire original broadcast from London and Philadelphia.
Dozens of major music stars performed at the shows. Among them were Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, and Sting. Collins famously performed at both locations. He first played at Wembley Stadium, then hopped on the Concorde jet to cross the Atlantic and take part in the festivities at JFK Stadium.
80s Central’s Live Aid presentation also will feature previously unheard commentary from artists and music-industry figures who participated in the concert. Among them are Queen guitarist Brian May, British synth-pop star Howard Jones and MTV VJ Mark Goodman.
“For [1980s music] fans, this is the Super Bowl, the Grammys, and New Year’s Eve rolled into one,” said 80s Central program director Christopher Shaw about the 1985 concert. “Live Aid wasn’t just a concert—it was our Woodstock. And here at 80s Central, we’re honored to bring this historic day back to life.”
The 10-hour broadcast will be streamed at 80sCentral.com and the 80s Central mobile app, and also can be heard via Alexa, Roku, Audacy, and Live365.
More About Live Aid
Live Aid was organized by Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof and Ultravox frontman Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in the African country of Ethiopia. It was conceived as a follow-up to the all-star 1984 U.K. benefit holiday single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” which Geldof and Ure co-wrote. The participating artists were collectively called Band Aid.
The London Live Aid concert began at noon U.K. time (7 a.m. ET), while the Philadelphia show started at 9 a.m. ET.
The Wembley Stadium lineup included Status Quo, The Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Elvis Costello, Sade, Sting, Collins, Jones, Bryan Ferry, U2, Dire Straits, Queen, Bowie, The Who, Elton John, and McCartney.
The JFK Stadium concert featured Joan Baez, the Four Tops, Black Sabbath, Run–D.M.C., Rick Springfield, REO Speedwagon, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Judas Priest, Bryan Adams, The Beach Boys, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Simple Minds, the Pretenders, Santana, Madonna, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Kenny Loggins, The Cars, Thompson Twins, Eric Clapton, Collins, Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Jagger with Tina Turner, and Dylan with The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood.
There were several noteworthy collaborations at both concerts. They included Wham! joining Elton John, Sting joining Dire Straits, and Collins playing drums with Clapton and Led Zeppelin.
Live Aid was broadcast live to more than 1.5 billion people in 150 countries. The event raised more than $125 million for Ethiopian famine relief.
Comments from Live Aid Participants
Reflecting on Queen’s historic Live Aid performance, May said, “It was one of our finest hours—definitely one of [late frontman] Freddie [Mercury]’s finest hours. The planets were aligned, and the magic happened.”
He added, “No lights. No soundcheck. But it worked—because it was oiled by extreme goodwill. Everyone’s heart was in the right place.”
Meanwhile, Jones noted, “It was the most brilliant project of the ’80s. Saving lives, showing the decade wasn’t just about greed and power.”
Goodman, who covered the concert for MTV, recalled “It was a seat-of-the-pants situation—terrifying and wonderful. … People say it was the day the record business grew a conscience—and I saw that.”
(Shutterstock)
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