Thirty-five years ago, Bob Geldof organized what would become the largest and most important music festival to date. On July 13, 1985, Bob brought together dozens of artists in London, at Wembley Stadium, and in Philadelphia, at John F. Kennedy Stadium, which simultaneously hosted more than 160,000 people with the goal of raising funds to fight famine in Ethiopia.
That day featured performances by Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Phil Collins, U2, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Sting, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney and, of course, Queen , in one of their best performances of all time.
The event was also streamed live to an estimated audience of 1.9 billion people in 150 different countries. The following day, British media outlets announced that Live Aid had raised between £40 and £50 million. Now, it is estimated that around £150 million was raised as a direct result of the concerts.
The impact of Live Aid was so great that now, 35 years later, fans of all generations admire the event and the strength it brought to the cause. To celebrate the festival that gave rise to World Rock Day, celebrated today, and continues to inspire musicians around the world, we have selected some videos ( click here to watch the complete playlist) from the event and iconic photos. See below.
