Live Aid stars gather for 40th anniversary

Musicians who performed at Live Aid, the transatlantic concert that raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia, reunited in London on Sunday to mark the event's 40th anniversary, attending a special performance of the musical Just For One Day.

Among the stars gathered at Shaftesbury Theatre were Live Aid organisers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, Queen guitarist Brian May, musician Nik Kershaw and actor Vanessa Williams.

On this day in 1985, some of the biggest names in music came together for the televised international charity show, held simultaneously at London's Wembley Stadium and the John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.

An estimated 1.5 billion people globally watched Live Aid via live satellite broadcasts. The event raised about USD100 million and spawned similar events all over the world for decades afterwards.

Irish rocker and activist Geldof told Reuters that Live Aid was still important because it showed the power of collaborative action.

"And today in the age of the death of kindness, which [US President Donald] Trump, [Vice President JD] Vance and [Elon] Musk have ushered in, it probably resonates all the more strongly," Geldof said.

The musicians attended a performance of Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical, a behind-the-scenes stage musical featuring songs from Sunday's attendees as well as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Madonna, Elton John and Paul McCartney.

The musical, which had a run at London's Old Vic in 2024, transferred to the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End in May.

It is produced with the permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which gets 10 per cent from the sales of all tickets.

"It made me very emotional at the time. Even thinking about it now makes me emotional," May told Reuters, referring to Live Aid in 1985.

Queen's performance that day at Wembley Stadium is widely regarded as a landmark concert in rock music history. "There has never been a day like that in my life," May said. Reuters