Live Aid Rocks the World: Music Fights Famine
Bob Geldof organized Live Aid in ten weeks after seeing BBC footage of Ethiopian famine victims. On July 13, 1985, two concerts ran simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, connected by satellite to an estimated 1.9 billion viewers across 150 nations. Queen's 20-minute set at Wembley is widely considered the greatest live rock performance ever captured on film. Freddie Mercury held 72,000 people in his palm. The concerts raised approximately 127 million dollars, though later investigations revealed that much of the aid was diverted by Ethiopian government forces. Live Aid permanently changed how charities use mass media to mobilize donations.
July 13, 1985
41 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 13
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