Music fans recall watching Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium 40 years on
The concerts, held in London and Philadelphia, took place on July 13 1985 and were organised by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the Ethiopian famine.
The late Diana, Princess of Wales and the King, then Prince of Wales, attended the gig in London, which included performances from Sir Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Queen, Sir Mick Jagger and Tina Turner.
LIVE AID AT 40 🎸
'So Bowie came over and said roll over and I will give you a massage.'
Bob Geldof explains what went on behind the scenes at Live Aid 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/nQImzF8KSb
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) July 10, 2025
Lucy Swanson, daughter of the late BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale, was 17 when she went to the gig with her friend Kate Wolfe.
'I was 17. It was a time in our lives where everyone listened to the same radio stations, the same bands,' she said.
'Everyone watched Top Of The Pops. We had to go to Live Aid. As soon as it was announced it was the must-have ticket.
'Thankfully my mum was Annie Nightingale, a DJ on Radio 1 and out presenting Live Aid in Philadelphia on the same day.
'She bought us tickets to go – because everyone had to buy them. There were no freebies.
'There was a sense that every band was all singing for the same purpose.
'The crowd was amazing and everyone was present, no mobile phones, no selfies, no photos, it was better, just living in the moment of looking at the stage, wondering who was next.'
Vivien Harvey, who was a special constable on the day, only found out when she arrived that she would be given the task of looking after performers as they came on to the stage.
'We were on the coach on the way to the stadium when we were told where we would be situated for Live Aid,' she said.
'Some were told they'd be outside the stadium and some would be inside. I got the long straw, and got allocated to stand on the stage door.
'The crescendo, atmosphere, the buzz – very special. I saw lots of stars coming through the stage door including George Michael. But Freddie Mercury was the star of the show.'
Also recalling the event were Debbie Baxter, Henry Munro and Ann Sargeant, all of whom worked at the concert.
Ms Baxter, who was on the hospitality reception desk, said: 'I have so much pride knowing I was part of such an iconic event. I don't think it really resonated with me until years later.
'It wasn't until the film premiere of Bohemian Rhapsody took place in 2018 that I noticed younger staff members saying 'I wished I worked on Live Aid.'
'When I said that I had, they were amazed and were so excited to know what it was like. I realise now how lucky I was to have been part of such a historic event.'
Live Aid 40 Memories also features a video interview with Geldof, who recalls getting a back massage from Bowie just moments before he went on stage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 full line-up
This autumn, soap stars, former footballers, Olympians and ex-Love Islanders will all be taking to the dancefloor with one mission in mind – to lift the iconic glitterball trophy. They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of reigning 2024 champions Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell. The celebrities who will be showing us their Rumba and Paso Doble on the BBC dance competition have been revealed on various TV and radio shows, such as Good Morning Britain, The One Show and BBC Radio 1. Every Strictly Come Dancing winner (2004-2024) So, let's take a look at this year's Strictly line-up in full – who will be your favourite? Strictly Come Dancing 2025 full line-up revealed All the famous faces taking part in the 23rd series of Strictly are: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – Nitro from Gladiators Dani Dyer – former Love Islander Alex Kingston – actor, ER and Doctor Who star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – ex-footballer Balvinder Sopal – EastEnders star George Clarke - YouTuber and podcaster La Voix - RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalist Chris Robshaw -former England rugby union player and captain Ellie Goldstein - model Thomas Skinner - The Apprentice star (2019) Vicky Pattison - reality TV star Stefan Dennis - Neighbours actor Ross King - Hollywood correspondent Karen Carney - sports presenter and Lioness Kristian Nairn - Game of Thrones actor Full list of professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Joining the celebrities this year on Strictly are professional dancers: Dianne Buswell Nadiya Bychkova Amy Dowden Karen Hauer Katya Jones Neil Jones Nikita Kuzmin Gorka Marquez Luba Mushtuk Jowita Przystal Johannes Radebe Aljaž Škorjanec Kai Widdrington Nancy Xu Carlos Gu Lauren Oakley Michelle Tsiakkas Vito Coppola Alexis Warr (new for 2025) Julian Caillon (new for 2025) Recommended reading: All will be hoping to impress head judge Shirley Ballas each week, along with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke. Who do you think will win Strictly 2025? Let us know in the comments below. Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer this autumn – an official launch date is yet to be announced.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Clara Amfo says depression played a part in Radio 1 exit
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo has spoken about how depression played a part in her decision to leave the station last has previously spoken about her periods of struggling with her mental health and anxiety, and told Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast last week she has "dealt with deep, deep, deep depression in my life".She told her former Radio 1 colleague she decided to leave the station partly because she felt "completely satiated" by the job and didn't want it to become "a chore".But she went on to say she was suffering from depression in 2023 and took a break "to have a little reset", before deciding to leave for good. Amfo joined Radio 1 in 2015 and took over Cotton's mid-morning slot the same year, before moving to Annie Mac's evening show in 2021. Amfo left the station in March 2024. Burnt out She told Cotton her depression had become particularly bad at the start of 2023."Mate, I was in the flipping trenches," she said. "I think I was burnt out, I wasn't taking care of myself properly, I think I was a bit sort of overwhelmed by life's weird - not weird, valid - injustices."I just wasn't feeling great and I was in a bit of a negative headspace, and yeah I was really, really depressed mid-2023, and I took some time off of radio, and just had to have a little reset. And that's when I decided I was going to leave my show, actually, at the time."Cotton, who has previously said she left Radio 1 because the job was "ruining her mind", told Amfo she had also experienced "very, very low mental health in periods".Amfo also spoke about other factors behind her departure from Radio 1 earlier in the interview, saying she was determined not "to resent anything that that I do" in her job."I don't ever want anything to feel like it's being forced or like it's a chore. And I wasn't feeling that way, but I want to be able to listen to music as a fan always, rather than as a business," she explained."I want to be able to talk to people on a human level, rather than thinking, I've got to get that viral interview clip."She quoted a comment that Annie Mac told her when she left. "She was just like, 'Yeah babe, I'm just ready to do my next thing'."And I think that's how I felt. I felt so completely satiated by it and I was like, well, I think there's nothing new for me to do. I could carry on and do it. I could. But I think one thing I learned is just because you can do something doesn't mean you always should."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Clara Amfo reveals depression battle led to her quitting BBC Radio 1 as she became 'burnt out and in a negative headspace' after eight years on air
Clara Amfo has revealed that depression led to her quitting her BBC Radio 1 show after eight years on air. The presenter, 41, revealed that she struggled with her mental health after becoming 'burnt out' due to the toll of her career. Clara, who spent a decade as a DJ and regularly fronts shows including the BBC's Glastonbury coverage, admitted she was in a 'negative headspace' at the time and needed a 'little reset'. Speaking to Fearne Cotton on the Happy Place podcast, she said: 'I was burnt out, I wasn't taking care of myself properly and I think I was a bit overwhelmed by life's injustices. 'I just wasn't feeling great and I was in a bit of a negative headspace. 'The start of 2023, I was in the flipping trenches. I was feeling really, really depressed sort of mid-2023 and I took some time off radio, and just had to have a little reset. That is when I decided I was going to leave my show.' Clara, first joined Radio 1 as a DJ and later hosted the Live Lounge, The Official Chart on Radio 1, and her 1Xtra programme. Clara also addressed the pressures of working in high-profile broadcasting as she said she never wanted to 'resent' the job. She added: 'I had mixed reactions. Obviously our bosses, who are lovely, were like 'But why?' 'I'm one of these people where I am so passionate about what I do that I never want to resent anything, I don't want anything to feel like it's forced or a chore. 'And I want to be able to listen to music always as a fan, rather than as a business, and I want to be able to talk to people on a human level without thinking, 'Got to get that viral interview clip'.' Clara left Radio 1 in 2023, marking the end of a decade-long chapter that included championing new artists through her 'hottest record' feature. At the time, she said: 'I'm so proud of the work I've been able to do on every show, whether it's been from the 8th floor, a city in the UK or a pop star's house across the pond. I'm grateful to have had the ears of the listeners who have consistently shown up for me. 'I'm enamoured by everyone I've had the privilege of working alongside for each and every broadcast. 'I'm energised and excited for my next chapter as part of the network and beyond.' It comes after Clara revealed that she 'debated having liposuction ' after 'getting in her own head' about her body image. The presenter candidly discussed her relationship with her body image as she covered the December edition of UK Women's Health last year. In the accompanying interview, Clara reflected on how she thought her career 'would be different' if she looked a certain way. The broadcaster explained how she 'tries to stop herself' from constantly thinking about her body in an industry that is 'obsessed' with people's appearances. She said: 'If I had done all these things but I existed in a different body, maybe had a looser hair pattern, or if I was a few shades lighter, I wonder if my career would be different, and I wonder if I would get treated better.' 'I'll be so real with you, I was debating having lipo. I won't lie, towards the end of last year – because I got in my head, I had the consultation and everything.' Explained what stopped her, she added: 'I obsessively research things, and I was just looking at all the times when it had gone wrong for people. I think I scared myself out of it, to be honest.' In the UK, private liposuction surgery can cost between £2,000 and £6, op, which tends to last a few hours, involves removing unwanted body fat by inserting a tube under the skin and sucking out small areas of fat. After bruising and swelling from the operation has healed, the areas treated visibly shrink. Recovery can take weeks. Graduating with a media arts degree in 2006, Clara joined Kiss FM as a marketing intern in 2007, progressed to stand-in presenter. She then secured a role as drivetime host, leading to BBC Radio 1 Extra in 2013 and her daytime Radio 1 show in 2015.
