Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
Production
Satellite link-up miracle—1985 tech held together by prayer.
Acting
Queen's 22 minutes: Freddie Mercury eats the entire stadium.
Direction
Chaotic multi-venue juggling act, barely controlled.
Director
Kenneth Shapiro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Phil Collins played both London and Philadelphia the same day via Concorde—his hair survived neither jet lag nor humidity.
The event invented modern celebrity humanitarianism; Bono's mid-song wander into the crowd essentially created his entire persona.
US
