It started simply enough. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof saw a BBC report about Ethiopia's famine killing more than 1 million people and threatening millions more. Teaming up with fellow musician Midge Ure, he recruited a cavalcade of stars to record a song that raised millions of British pounds. Impressive, but then the duo took it to a whole other level with a 16-hour megaevent called Live Aid they coordinated in just 10 weeks.
Concerts were never quite the same—and neither was philanthropy.
The superconcert on 13 July 1985 featured more than 70 acts split over two continents and chock-full of rock royalty. Delivering that star power also required some serious technical innovation, resulting in one of the largest-scale satellite linkups of all time.
Acts in Wembley Stadium in London, England alternated with performances at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Combined attendance hit 170,000, with TV viewership estimated at around 1.5 billion people—more than 30 percent of the global population at the time.
While the soaring vocals of Queen's Freddie Mercury arguably stole the show, a galaxy of pop stars from David Bowie to Madonna delivered legendary performances.
HIGH NOTES
The event gave a global stage to generations of jukebox heroes: U2, Elton John, George Michael, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner, to name a few. Each artist had less than 20 minutes on stage, with performances interspersed with short documentaries about the famine and calls to fundraising. Only one musician appeared at both venues. After leaving the stage in London, Phil Collins zoomed across the Atlantic on a Concorde jet to do a set in Philadelphia.
IN HARMONY
Whether through peer pressure, fear of missing out on a legendary show or outright goodwill, iconic bands came together, with many having to pause their own tours. Geldof was able to reunite bands that hadn't played together for years, including Led Zeppelin, The Who and Black Sabbath.
REVERB
It was the most complicated live broadcast in history. Using 13 satellites and 22 transponders, the concert aired live in 110 countries, with a taped version eventually shown in an additional 45 countries. The BBC in Britain, and ABC and MTV in the United States simulcast the concert, switching between different stages and networks, with live inserts coming from Japan, Australia, the USSR and other countries.
PAY IT FORWARD
What made Live Aid a watershed fundraising moment? Most of the pledges came from small donors, not corporate giants. A U.S. call center, for instance, crashed at one point when 700,000 people phoned to pledge at the same time. Live Aid created a template for a slew of celebrity fundraising events that followed, including A Tribute to Heroes, Farm Aid and Hope for Haiti Now.
Star Power
US$127 million
Amount Live Aid raised for African famine relief
1.5 billion
Estimated number of people who watched Live Aid on TV
SHOWSTOPPER “[Freddie] Mercury's raw will and broad talents elevated him to a stage whose televised exposure gave him the chance to conquer the world…. As the ultimate outsider, Mercury used his slamdunk display to personify, and amplify, Live Aid's broadest message: hope.”
—Jim Farber, music critic, The New York Times
PERSONAL INFLUENCE
I was just 11 years old in 1985 when Status Quo played “Rockin’ All Over the World” to kick off Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in London, England. I had no appreciation for the project management complexity—I didn't even realize it was a project. But I certainly remember that it was unique: one giant benefit concert on two continents, thrilling crowds in London, England and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA simultaneously and attracting viewers from all corners of the world. This massive global cultural event transformed an entire generation's approach and appreciation for the power of charity and fundraising. As a young child, it shook me to the realization that events like these didn't just happen. There's a plan and a cast of thousands behind the scenes that make everything possible. It's easy to overlook project management in entertainment, but it's there. And Live Aid couldn't have happened without an astounding mix of tech advances and nonstop coordination.
—Lindsay Scott, director of program and project management recruitment, Arras People, London, England