The music world on Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the twin-city concert staged on 13 July 1985 that mobilised rock’s biggest names to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Organised by Boomtown Rats front-man Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure, the 16-hour spectacle filled London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s John F. Kennedy Stadium and was broadcast to an estimated two billion viewers in more than 150 countries. Artists who played the original show—including Rick Springfield, Hall & Oates co-founder John Oates and Judas Priest singer Rob Halford—told the Associated Press they remain struck by the event’s scale and diversity, which featured appearances by Queen, The Who, a Led Zeppelin reunion, U2, Madonna and dozens more. Springfield recalled following Run-DMC on stage in Philadelphia, while Oates remembered Mick Jagger’s unannounced duet with Tina Turner that electrified the crowd. Live Aid ultimately channelled about US$100 million into humanitarian programmes, proving that pop culture could galvanise global charitable giving. Its example inspired the larger Live 8 series of concerts in 2005, yet Geldof and the performers doubt a comparable gathering could be mounted today, citing the splintering effect of social media and a more polarised cultural landscape. Even so, broadcasters, theatres and museums are revisiting the landmark show this month, underscoring its enduring place in both music history and activism.