With the group losing steam as they went into the early 1980s after a career of multiple hits, they offered the crowd an unforgettable 20-minute performance. More than 40 of these nations held telethons for African famine relief during the broadcast.Ī memorable performance of the concert was by Queen, particularly frontman Freddie Mercury, who unexpectedly stole the show with a fierce performance. Thirteen satellites beamed a live television broadcast of the event to more than one billion viewers in 110 countries. The majority of these artists performed at either Wembley Stadium in London, where a crowd of 70,000 turned out, or at Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium, where 100,000 watched. The lineup featured more than 75 acts, including Elton John, Queen, Madonna, Santana, Run DMC, Sade, Sting, Bryan Adams, the Beach Boys, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Duran Duran, U2, the Who, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Eric Clapton. Organized in just 10 weeks, Live Aid was staged on Saturday, July 13, 1985. With the crisis continuing in Ethiopia, and the neighboring Sudan also stricken with famine, Geldof proposed Live Aid, an ambitious global charity concert aimed at raising more funds and increasing awareness of the plight of many Africans. The single went to the top of the charts and eventually raised $44 million. ensemble was known, featured Jackson, Richie, Geldof, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, and many others. pop artists to come together and perform “ We Are the World,” a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. 1 hit in the United States and inspired U.S. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was also a No.