Nearly 2 billion people tuned in as rock 'n' roll tried to save a starving continent in the biggest concert the world had ever seen.
Live Aid was a massive two-venue benefit concert held on Saturday, July 13, 1985, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the devastating 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.
An estimated 1.9 billion people across 150 nations watched the live broadcast — nearly 40 percent of the entire world's population at the time. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts ever attempted.
The concert was inspired by the success of the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" released in December 1984. The song had been expected to raise just £70,000 but instead raised £8 million and became the fastest-selling single in British history.
The idea for a benefit concert actually came from Boy George of Culture Club, who suggested it to Geldof after an impromptu Band Aid performance at Wembley Arena on December 22, 1984. Geldof ran with the idea and scaled it up to a global event.
Geldof used creative bluffing to recruit artists — he'd call Elton John saying Queen and Bowie were already in, then call Bowie saying Elton and Queen had committed. It was a high-stakes game of musical chicken that worked brilliantly.
Phil Collins performed at both venues on the same day, flying from Wembley by helicopter to Heathrow, then crossing the Atlantic on a Concorde to reach Philadelphia. He played his own sets at both stadiums and also backed Sting, Eric Clapton, and the reuniting Led Zeppelin.
Mick Jagger and David Bowie planned a live transatlantic duet but satellite delays made synchronisation impossible. Instead, they pre-recorded a cover of "Dancing in the Street" which was shown on screens at both stadiums.
Paul McCartney was specifically recruited as a musical "elder statesman" to give the concert political legitimacy. His microphone failed for the first two minutes of "Let It Be" — he later joked he considered changing the lyrics to "There will be some feedback, let it be."
The concert ran for over 16 hours continuously, but since performances happened simultaneously at both venues, the total concert length exceeded 24 hours. Additional inspired concerts were held the same day in the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Yugoslavia, and other countries.
BBC journalist Michael Buerk's October 1984 report on the Ethiopian famine — which he described as "a biblical famine in the 20th century" and "the closest thing to hell on Earth" — was the catalyst that shocked the world and spurred Geldof into action.