That Eric Alper

On July 13, 1985, music changed the world. Literally. Live Aid was more than just a concert—it was a global jukebox that reached 1.9 billion people in over 150 countries. Organizers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure called up their famous friends, threw together a two-continent party, and raised millions for Ethiopian famine relief. From London’s Wembley Stadium to Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium, it was a 16-hour music marathon filled with legendary moments, wild behind-the-scenes antics, and more rockstar drama than your cousin’s wedding playlist.

To celebrate its 40th birthday, here are 40 wild, wonderful, and heartwarming facts about Live Aid—because one of the biggest concerts in history deserves one heck of a throwback.

From Freddie Mercury’s strut to Bono’s crowd-dive, Phil Collins’ Concorde flight to a satellite duet that never quite happened, here are 40 wild, weird, and wonderful facts about Live Aid—because the world’s biggest concert deserves the world’s biggest birthday party.

1. Queen didn’t just perform. They conquered.
Their 21-minute set is widely considered the greatest live performance in rock history. Freddie Mercury’s mic stand became a sword, Wembley turned into a choir, and “We Are the Champions” felt less like a song and more like a coronation.

2. U2 became global superstars thanks to one song.
Their performance of “Bad” ran long—so long that they had to cut “Pride (In the Name of Love)” from their set. But when Bono leaped into the crowd to dance with a fan, he became a household name.

3. Phil Collins played both shows.
Collins drummed for Sting in London, then boarded a Concorde, landed in Philly, and played again that same day—this time for Eric Clapton and a reunited Led Zeppelin. Jet lag not included.

4. Bob Geldof got mad, and it worked.
When he found out that only £1.2 million had been raised mid-concert, he reportedly yelled “Give us your money!” live on TV. Donations immediately spiked to £300 per second.

5. David Bowie gave up a song for something bigger.
After seeing a powerful CBC news segment set to “Drive” by The Cars, Bowie insisted it be played during his set—even if it meant cutting “Five Years.” The footage moved millions and helped increase donations.

6. Freddie Mercury and Brian May’s acoustic duet brought the house down.
They performed “Is This the World We Created…?” to a silent, swaying stadium. No flash, just heart.

7. Paul McCartney’s mic cut out—and it didn’t matter.
McCartney started “Let It Be” with a dead microphone, but the Wembley crowd sang loud enough to carry the tune until the problem was fixed.

8. Elton John had the longest set of the day.
His 32-minute set included a duet with George Michael and a performance of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” that still gives chills.

9. Princess Diana and Prince Charles were in the crowd.
They watched from the royal box at Wembley. Diana reportedly loved Duran Duran and George Michael.

10. The show was almost called something else.
Names like “Feed the World Live” were considered before they settled on “Live Aid.” Good choice.

11. There were concerts happening all over the world.
While London and Philly got the headlines, shows also happened in Australia, the Soviet Union, Japan, Yugoslavia, Canada, and more.

12. The opening act? Status Quo.
They kicked things off in London with “Rockin’ All Over the World,” which couldn’t have been more fitting.

13. The Who’s set had technical hiccups.
Their performance of “My Generation” was cut short by a blown fuse. True to form, they smashed through it anyway.

14. The satellite feed almost didn’t work.
Broadcasting live from two continents was a technical miracle in 1985. One wrong move, and the show would’ve gone dark worldwide.

15. “We Are the World” closed the show in Philly.
And yes, just about everyone you can think of was on that stage. Except Prince—he sent a video instead.

16. Phil Collins played drums for Led Zeppelin.
Even he admits it didn’t go well. “If I could have walked off, I would have,” he later said.

17. Madonna addressed the elephant in the room.
After nude photos of her appeared in Playboy and Penthouse, she told the crowd, “I ain’t taking s*** off today.” Applause followed.

18. Bono saved a fan’s life.
During “Bad,” he noticed a girl being crushed in the crowd, jumped down, and pulled her to safety. She later credited him with saving her life.

19. The telethon-style donations ran on 300 phone lines.
Volunteers took credit card donations by hand. No apps. No QR codes. Just call in and give what you could.

20. David Bowie called Live Aid “the most dramatic thing I’ve ever seen.”
And that’s from a guy who wore Ziggy Stardust makeup.

21. Freddie Mercury had a beer before going onstage.
Because rock and roll.

22. Bob Dylan broke a string—and Ron Wood saved the day.
When Dylan’s guitar gave out, Wood handed him his own and played air guitar while grinning through the rest of the song. Punk energy meets rock royalty.

23. The Beach Boys reunited with Brian Wilson.
It was their first major performance together in years.

24. The broadcast reached nearly 40% of the global population.
That’s 1.9 billion people in 150 countries. Imagine explaining that to your dial-up modem.

25. George Michael performed twice.
Once with Elton John and again during the “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” finale.

26. Sting played two sets.
One solo and one as part of Dire Straits. He was basically everywhere that day.

27. The sound systems weren’t concert-quality by today’s standards.
But what the tech lacked, the passion made up for.

28. Mick Jagger and Tina Turner nearly burned the place down.
Their chemistry during “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll” was electric—especially when Mick ripped off part of Tina’s dress mid-song. The crowd went wild. So did the tabloids.

29. Bob Geldof bluffed his way to a lineup.
He told Bowie that Elton and Queen were confirmed. Then told Queen that Bowie and Elton were in. None of it was true—until it was.

30. It cost millions to put on—and made tens of millions more.
By the end, over $125 million had been raised. In today’s money, that’s over $370 million.

31. George Thorogood played with not one, but two blues legends.
Bo Diddley and Albert Collins joined him onstage in Philly, giving the blues a well-deserved spotlight amid the synth-pop and arena rock.

32. The stage schedule was scribbled on scraps of paper.
No fancy spreadsheets here. Organizers used handwritten notes and walkie-talkies to coordinate the biggest music event of the decade.

33. Billy Connolly got the crowd laughing before Elton John.
The Scottish comedian introduced Elton with some off-the-cuff jokes—because if there’s one thing harder than following Queen, it’s doing it in silence.

34. Paul McCartney re-recorded part of his set for the DVD.
Because of that mic failure, he laid down a clean vocal for “Let It Be” the day after.

35. The Cars’ song “Drive” helped drive donations.
Set to haunting footage of famine victims, the song played during Bowie’s set became one of the concert’s most powerful and emotional moments.

36. Muhammad Ali made an appearance.
He wasn’t scheduled to, but joined the stage in Philadelphia to thunderous applause.

37. The stage at JFK was enormous.
And had to be cooled with ice to prevent equipment (and musicians) from overheating.

38. The event was almost canceled due to logistics.
Two continents. One feed. Dozens of artists. No modern email. Somehow, it happened.

39. “Live Aid” was meant to be a one-time thing.
But it inspired Farm Aid, Live 8, and a whole new era of music-meets-activism.

40. It worked.
Not perfectly. Not without controversy. But it changed how music, media, and activism work together. And it raised millions for people who needed it most.

Forty years later, it’s still the greatest gig the world’s ever thrown.