In 1985, Live Aid concerts kicked off in London and Philadelphia, bringing in a record number of attendees. In London, 72,000 people attended, while in Philly, 89,484 people packed the stands. Live Aid remained the pinnacle of humanitarian fundraising concerts for years. Until, in 1996, the first Tibetan Freedom Concert took place in San Francisco.
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From 1996 and onward, Tibetan Freedom concerts would continue to take place. But the first one was started by The Beastie Boys in partnership with the Milarepa Fund. Along with activist Erin Potts, Adam Yauch formed the Milarepa Fund initially to distribute royalties to Tibetan monks that the trio had sampled on Ill Communication.
For the concert, The Beastie Boys specifically wanted a show styled after Live Aid to spread awareness of the fight for Tibetan independence. While they were on the 1994 Lollapalooza tour, they conceived the idea.
The first Tibetan Freedom Concert took place on June 16, 1996. Featured performers included, of course, The Beastie Boys. Also taking part were The Smashing Pumpkins, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Björk, Rage Against The Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and others.
The Inaugural 1996 Tibetan Freedom Concert Brought in Record Attendance and Spread Awareness of the Fight for Tibetan Independence
The Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco was a hit. It drew in more than 100,000 people to the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park. The concert also raised more than $800,000 for multiple causes, the first and foremost being the Tibetan Freedom Movement.
Other artists to join the concert were Pavement, Sonic Youth, Beck, Foo Fighters, Fugees, and Yoko Ono. There were also several speakers involved. Tibetan activist Chimi Thonden, former political prisoner Palden Gyatso, Chinese Democracy advocate Shen Tong, and professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies Robert A.F. Thurman all took the stage to speak.
Following the success of the 1996 Tibetan Freedom Concert, many more concerts took place all around the world. In 1997, a concert kicked off in New York City with Noel Gallagher, U2, Patti Smith, and many more.
In 1998, the Tibetan Freedom Concert actually surpassed itself in attendance. At the concert in Washington, D.C., 120,000 people packed into RFK Stadium. Additionally, they raised more than $1.2 million. The Beastie Boys performed again, joined by Radiohead, Sean Lennon, Dave Matthews Band, Pulp, and more.
The Beastie Boys continued to participate in the concerts into 2003, when more than 8,000 people gathered at a venue in Taipei. The concerts helped spread awareness and raise money, but they also helped spur young people to action. Through music, the group Students For A Free Tibet grew into a worldwide movement.
Photo by KMazur/WireImage
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