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Bob Geldof Reflects on Live Aid, 40 Years Later

Music|40 Years After Live Aid, It’s Still Personal for Bob Geldof

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/arts/music/live-aid-bob-geldof-anniversary.html

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On Oct. 23, 1984, Bob Geldof, the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, sat down at home in London to watch the evening news. It changed his life — and saved the lives of millions more.

The BBC ran a report on what it called a “biblical famine” in Ethiopia caused by drought and exacerbated by civil war. Searing images of emaciated and naked children were beamed for the first time into homes across Britain, and then around the world.

Geldof was incensed and horrified. How could this be happening in the 20th century? And what could he — an angry pop star — do about it?

On Sunday, it’s 40 years since Live Aid, two epic concerts held in London and Philadelphia that he helped organize in response to that question. They were arguably the most successful charity events in history, and have a claim to be among the best gigs ever, too.

Geldof persuaded many of the world’s most top artists at the time to play for free, including Queen, David Bowie, Madonna, the Who, Elton John, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney. The shows were seen by about 1.5 billion people in more than 150 countries and would go on to raise more than $140 million.