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Live Aid

  • TV Special
  • 1985
  • 16h
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Live Aid (1985)
DocumentaryMusic

The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.

  • Directors
    • Vincent Scarza
    • Kenneth Shapiro
  • Writer
    • Bob Geldof
  • Stars
    • Bob Geldof
    • Bryan Adams
    • Stuart Adamson
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    2.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Vincent Scarza
      • Kenneth Shapiro
    • Writer
      • Bob Geldof
    • Stars
      • Bob Geldof
      • Bryan Adams
      • Stuart Adamson
    • 21User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Photos50

    Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood at an event for Live Aid (1985)
    Live Aid (1985)
    Live Aid (1985)
    Live Aid (1985)
    Madonna in Live Aid (1985)
    Madonna in Live Aid (1985)
    David Bowie in Live Aid (1985)
    Eric Clapton in Live Aid (1985)
    Mick Jagger and Tina Turner in Live Aid (1985)
    Live Aid (1985)
    Phil Collins in Live Aid (1985)
    Brian May, Freddie Mercury, and John Deacon in Live Aid (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bob Geldof
    Bob Geldof
    • Self
    Bryan Adams
    Bryan Adams
    • Self (at JFK Stadium)
    Stuart Adamson
    • Self
    • (as Big Country)
    Mo Amin
    • Self - Photographer
    Adam Ant
    Adam Ant
    • Self
    Nick Ashford
    Nick Ashford
    • Self
    Joan Baez
    Joan Baez
    • Self
    Tom Bailey
    Tom Bailey
    • Self
    • (as Thompson Twins)
    Garry Beers
    Garry Beers
    • Self
    Big Country
    Big Country
    • Themselves
    Black Sabbath
    Black Sabbath
    • Themselves
    Bono
    Bono
    • Self
    • (as U2)
    The Boomtown Rats
    The Boomtown Rats
    • Themselves
    David Bowie
    David Bowie
    • Self
    Andrew Bown
    • Self
    • (as Status Quo)
    Jeff Bridges
    Jeff Bridges
    • Self - Host
    Pete Briquette
    • Self
    • (as Boomtown Rats)
    Charlie Burchill
    Charlie Burchill
    • Self
    • (as Simple Minds)
    • Directors
      • Vincent Scarza
      • Kenneth Shapiro(national syndication)
    • Writer
      • Bob Geldof
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During The Who's set, a red warning light at the front of the stage flashed to alert the band that their time was up. In response, Pete Townshend stepped on the warning light, broke it, and the band played for five extra minutes.
    • Quotes

      Bob Geldof: [to the audience and world] Please. Please. Please. Give us as much money as we know you have. Thanks.

    • Alternate versions
      In its original form, the concert ran 16 hours. There were two versions of the U.S. telecast - one incarnation aired complete on MTV, another produced by ABC was in two parts, part one (the first eleven hours) airing in syndication, part two (the final three hours) airing on ABC. In any case, the DVD version is edited to ten hours, leaving out many key performances, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Power Station, The Hooters, The Four Tops, Rick Springfield, Bernard Watson, Santana, and Led Zeppelin. The DVD version also contains an aurally altered version of Paul McCartney's performance of "Let It Be" (due to a microphone problem in the first half of the song, McCartney had to re-record his vocals twenty years after the fact so that it could be included on the DVD).
    • Connections
      Featured in Television: Live Pictures (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      I don't like Mondays
      Written by Bob Geldof

      Performed by The Boomtown Rats

    User reviews21

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    I was there at Wembley.
    I was there at the Wembley Live Aid show.

    Being that I was one of the last few to buy my ticket at the company that takes you on their coaches to concerts. The last four or six I think, you could only come to their office and buy them in person.

    As I was and still very much so a big fan of The Who, I wasn't a Mod, and knowing that they had "retired" this would be or could be the only chance to get to see them. I had a friend who was watching it at home recording their section on VHS for me. Then it happened, the satellite feed broke just as they started My Generation, I sometimes wonder if it was because the rest of the World were using to much power at that time that the system couldn't handle it all at once. Shame, and yes I did Pete Townshend fall over.

    The weather was stunning, just as Elton John came on it started to drizzle lightly, but not for long, it was needed, the drizzle not Elton. Queen was amazing; three friends & I saw their very last show as a group a year later at Knebworth House, 120,000 people were also there too!

    RIP Freddie, what a Showman.

    When we were leaving through our side of the Wembley tunnels the atmosphere was electric, we were singing "Feed the World". During the coach ride home we could make out sets from Sabbath and others on the radio.

    Its a shame that in twenty years nothing much has changed for the African people, such as Politics and war.

    I have three used T Shirts, a little small for me now, that came in sealed bags and two mint Programmes and a mint Live Aid: The Concert book that came out very shortly after the gig. The Wembley Live Aid concert ticket stub is still in good condition in the photo album.

    What a fantastic piece of History, 1 out of 72000 people seeing the real deal out of 1.5 to 2 billion watching on their telly's. When people talk about it and you mention that you were there they tend to look at you like you are lying, at first they just don't believe it, you really do, sometime's, have to prove it. It does fill me with pride to know that I was at a very Historical Musical event.
    helpful•9
    1
    • Cinema_Fan
    • Oct 8, 2005

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    FAQ1

    • Where were the two concerts held, and what are the two Stadium's capacities?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 13, 1985 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Twitter
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Музыкальный фестиваль Live Aid
    • Filming locations
      • John F. Kennedy Stadium - 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • Music Television (MTV)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • £150,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      16 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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