"Human atrocity is not beyond their reach, as demonstrated by Greatest Hits Radio's 10-hour Live Aid reenactment"
On Sunday, 13th July, Greatest Hits Radio will air a special 10-hour broadcast featuring all performances from the Wembley leg of the iconic Live Aid concert, 40 years after the original event. This rebroadcast is a tribute to the historic event that saw an estimated 1.9 billion people tuning in and raised over £114 million for famine relief.
The broadcast will include performances by renowned artists such as Simple Minds, Queen, David Bowie, Santana, and The Who, among others. Martin Kemp and the cast of the upcoming Live Aid musical "Just For One Day" will provide commentary throughout the event.
One of the most anticipated moments is Paul McCartney's rendition of Let It Be, which was delivered with a faulty microphone, adding an unscripted touch to the legendary performance. Viewers can also look forward to Queen's show-stealing set and Bowie's emotive performance.
The rebroadcast will culminate in a documentary about the whole event, titled "Live Aid: 40 Years On." The final episode of this series is described as the story of when and how rock music took on the world and won. The Greatest Hits Radio rebroadcast will end with this documentary.
Simon Mayo, who will present the Live Aid rebroadcast, expressed his excitement to relive the extraordinary day of Live Aid. Bob Geldof, the founder of Live Aid, praised Greatest Hits Radio for allowing people to remember that they are not powerless in the face of human monstrosity and went as far as to say that "Live Aid: 40 Years On" might be the greatest series of radio documentaries about Live Aid he has ever listened to.
However, it's unclear whether the Greatest Hits Radio event will include footage from the US leg of Live Aid, unlike some other radio tributes that cover both locations. While the internet radio station 80s Central is explicitly broadcasting the entire Live Aid concert from both Wembley and Philadelphia in real-time, Greatest Hits Radio has not yet confirmed any plans to include the US performances in their broadcast.
Regardless, the Greatest Hits Radio 40th anniversary broadcast of Live Aid promises to be a memorable event, offering a chance for a new generation to experience the power of music and its ability to bring people together for a cause. As Bob Geldof aptly put it, "the power of music and what it can achieve is worth knowing and understanding, especially now."
The 10-hour broadcast on Greatest Hits Radio will feature various music performances, including iconic acts like Queen, David Bowie, and The Who, making it an exciting fusion of entertainment and pop-culture. During the event, Martin Kemp and the cast of the Live Aid musical "Just For One Day" will provide commentary, creating a memorable backdrop to the music.
