Live Aid Raises Money for Famine Relief in Ethiopia

On 13 July 1985, the dual-venue benefit concert known as Live Aid took place across two continents to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the event staged simultaneous, interconnected performances at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. The project was conceived as an expansion of the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which had been recorded in late 1984 under the name Band Aid after widespread British news reporting by Michael Buerk revealed the acute scale of the Ethiopian famine. The single surpassed its original fundraising targets and spurred the plan to coordinate an unprecedented international musical effort.

Staging the dual concerts required unprecedented logistical and technological coordination across the Atlantic. In the United Kingdom, promoter Harvey Goldsmith handled arrangements at Wembley Stadium, while promoter Bill Graham secured JFK Stadium and Michael C. Mitchell produced the American concert and sold broadcast rights around the world. Broadcasters and technical directors arranged complex satellite links to connect the two locations, creating a continuous transmission that spanned about sixteen hours. Related concerts inspired by the initiative were staged simultaneously in countries such as Australia, West Germany, Canada, and the Soviet Union.