BBC announces programming to mark 40 years since Live Aid

02 May 2025 - Press release

 

This July, BBC Two and Radio 2 will mark the 40^th anniversary of Live Aid, which took place on Saturday 13^th July 1985.

BBC Two and BBC iPlayer broadcasts Live Aid at 40, which reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 concert that brought the idea of charity to a new generation. Exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting - along with US President George Bush, President Obasanjo of Nigeria and Birhan Woldu, the woman who as a dying child, became the abiding image of the Wembley concert and the famine. 

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the landmark 1985 concert that reshaped global aid, Brook Lapping, a Zinc Media label, announces its latest documentary series in association with Ronachan Films. A coproduction between the BBC and CNN Originals, Live Aid at 40 delves deep into the complex, sometimes controversial, stories behind this historic event and its legacy, in Britain, in the US, in Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. 

The series weaves the back room stories of two gangs of musicians, from the UK and the US with the political stories that both inspired them and brought them to a worldwide audience. Featuring exclusive interviews with iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting and Midge Ure, the series chronicles how musical legends from both countries mobilised billions worldwide: first to answer a famine in Ethiopia, and later inspiring global leaders like George Bush and Tony Blair to begin to address the true causes of global poverty. Live Aid forever altered the perception of charity and humanitarian efforts. Starting from small donations, to the donations of thousands of pounds, the story ends in billions of government aid. 

 

Archive of the performances and back stage of the record and the concert feature Paula Yates, Boy George, Status Quo and George Michael whilst interviews with Nile Rodgers, Lenny Henry, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Patti LaBelle, Roger Taylor and Brian May are set against the memories of the Ethiopian politicians at the heart of the relief effort, Dawit Giorgis and Berhane Deressa. These combine with the stories from political heavyweights including President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush and Tony Blair. The series offers a gripping account of Live Aid’s impact on music, politics and global awareness over the twenty years between Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005. 

 

Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, said: "The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV. Featuring exclusive behind the scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid."

 

Also coming to BBC Two in July is Live Aid the Concert (w/t). On a dazzling summer’s day in 1985, the UK came to a standstill to watch a concert on the BBC - 16 hours of music, performed by some of the world’s greatest artists, including David Bowie, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, Queen, Spandau Ballet, Sade, Sting, Status Quo, Tina Turner and U2. This concert was Live Aid, which was brought together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, following the success of the Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas? 

Approximately two billion people watched the broadcast in more than 100 countries. Now, for the first time since 1985, BBC Two gives viewers a chance to relive over 6.5 hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts, in addition to backstage footage, including interviews with Bono, Brian May, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Howard Jones, Roger Daltrey, Spandau Ballet, Sting, The Style Council and a transatlantic interview with Phil Collins on Concorde. 

Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV says: “This summer we’re delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC. By providing over 6.5 hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.”

The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas, which was broadcast on BBC Four in November 2024, is available for viewers to enjoy on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Radio 2 will be marking the anniversary on Sunday 13^th July, exactly 40 years since the concert, as the station broadcasts Live Aid – The Fans Story (12am-1am and then available on BBC Sounds).  

This special is introduced by Radio 2’s Paul Gambaccini who sets the scene and recalls his involvement on that seminal day back in 1985, broadcasting backstage for the BBC. Midge Ure and Bob Geldof reflect on the event, and we then hear from some of the big-name performers of the day: Francis Rossi of Status Quo, Dee C. Lee of The Style Council, Howard Jones, Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Billy Ocean, Nik Kershaw as well as Iain Parkhouse of the Coldstream Guards.

Plus, Radio 2’s host of Sounds of the 80s Gary Davies, as well as Michelle Visage (who watched from her home in New Jersey) and Michael Ball also share their memories of where they were and how they watched the event. We hear the stories of pop fans Jayne, Laura, Simon and Lucy who travelled from different parts of the UK to be at Wembley on that day, recalling a pre-internet world of holding physical tickets and enjoying the moment, without documenting it for social media.

Packed with fascinating insights from backstage, onstage, in the audience and viewing from home, soundtracked by some of the most iconic performances ever recorded, we are bringing Live Aid back to life 40 years on.