Get ready to relive music history! To mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, Greatest Hits Radio is set to replay the entire iconic concert as it happened, in a special ten-hour broadcast on Sunday, July 13th. This UK radio first, in partnership with the Band Aid Trust, will allow listeners to experience the global benefit concert in real time, exactly four decades after it first captivated over 1.5 billion people worldwide.
From midday to 10 PM, Greatest Hits Radio will air the original live performances from Wembley Stadium. The monumental playback will be accompanied by insightful commentary and reflections from the station’s presenters, including Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet, who performed at the 1985 event, alongside Jackie Brambles, Ken Bruce, Jenny Powell, Richard Allinson, and Kate Thornton. Listeners will also hear from fans, original production figures, and cast members from the upcoming West End stage show Just For One Day.
"I was there as a paying customer 40 years ago and I can’t wait to relive that extraordinary day," shared host Simon Mayo.
Bob Geldof, co-founder of the Band Aid Trust, emphasized the enduring message of the event: "Thank you Greatest Hits Radio for hopefully letting people know that they are not powerless in the face of human monstrosity. What better time than now to know and understand the power of music and what it can achieve."
The day-long tribute will culminate with the final episode of "Live Aid: 40 Years On," a new documentary series by Gimme Sugar for Bauer Media. This series, featuring exclusive interviews with key figures like Geldof, Midge Ure, Roger Taylor, Sir Brian May, and Harvey Goldsmith, offers an unprecedented look into how the massive event was organized across two continents in a mere ten weeks.
"This is the story of when and how rock music took on the world... and won," Geldof remarked about the documentary. "Maybe the greatest series of radio documentaries about Live Aid I have listened to."
Andy Ashton, Network Content Director for Greatest Hits Radio, expressed immense pride in the undertaking. "To be able to recreate Live Aid for a radio audience, exactly 40 years on, is a huge privilege. We’re proud to celebrate this enduring moment in global music history with our listeners."
Tune into "Live Aid Relived" on Sunday, July 13th, from midday on Greatest Hits Radio. The documentary series "Live Aid: 40 Years On" begins on Sunday, June 29th, at 4 PM.
From midday to 10 PM, Greatest Hits Radio will air the original live performances from Wembley Stadium. The monumental playback will be accompanied by insightful commentary and reflections from the station’s presenters, including Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet, who performed at the 1985 event, alongside Jackie Brambles, Ken Bruce, Jenny Powell, Richard Allinson, and Kate Thornton. Listeners will also hear from fans, original production figures, and cast members from the upcoming West End stage show Just For One Day.
"I was there as a paying customer 40 years ago and I can’t wait to relive that extraordinary day," shared host Simon Mayo.
Bob Geldof, co-founder of the Band Aid Trust, emphasized the enduring message of the event: "Thank you Greatest Hits Radio for hopefully letting people know that they are not powerless in the face of human monstrosity. What better time than now to know and understand the power of music and what it can achieve."
The day-long tribute will culminate with the final episode of "Live Aid: 40 Years On," a new documentary series by Gimme Sugar for Bauer Media. This series, featuring exclusive interviews with key figures like Geldof, Midge Ure, Roger Taylor, Sir Brian May, and Harvey Goldsmith, offers an unprecedented look into how the massive event was organized across two continents in a mere ten weeks.
"This is the story of when and how rock music took on the world... and won," Geldof remarked about the documentary. "Maybe the greatest series of radio documentaries about Live Aid I have listened to."
Andy Ashton, Network Content Director for Greatest Hits Radio, expressed immense pride in the undertaking. "To be able to recreate Live Aid for a radio audience, exactly 40 years on, is a huge privilege. We’re proud to celebrate this enduring moment in global music history with our listeners."
Tune into "Live Aid Relived" on Sunday, July 13th, from midday on Greatest Hits Radio. The documentary series "Live Aid: 40 Years On" begins on Sunday, June 29th, at 4 PM.
