Where Can You Watch Live Aid 1985 in Full?
When Live Aid took over the world on July 13, 1985, the numbers were breathtaking: two stadiums, dozens of future legends on one bill, and a TV and radio audience stretching to 1.5 billion people—roughly 40% of humanity at the time. The entire thing was thrown together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wanted to turn global attention into real money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Four decades on, the appetite for this marathon event is still strong.
Getting your hands on the complete footage of Live Aid is a bit like treasure hunting. Officially, you have a couple of options if you want high-quality, legit material. In 2018, the Band Aid Trust put out a digital download featuring a whopping 93 songs from the main venues, Wembley in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Oddly enough, Queen—whose 22-minute set is still talked about as maybe the best rock performance ever—was missing at first. That finally changed in 2019 when Queen’s full set was reinstated in the lineup, making the official digital release a must-have.
If streaming is more your thing, YouTube’s Official Live Aid channel is packed with 87 videos from the marathon, most in excellent quality, and yes, including Queen’s legendary appearance. Every view or click through the official channel helps charity, since YouTube sends all the earnings directly to the Band Aid Trust. So if you’re watching there, you’re supporting a cause just like the audience did in 1985.
The Hunt for Unofficial Recordings and Rare Footage
But even with official versions out there, dedicated fans still swear by old-school home recordings. Back when Live Aid aired, plenty of people taped the whole show on VHS or Betamax right off the broadcast. These homemade videos often captured moments and performances that never made it to the official DVD, which was released years later with some acts and songs missing. The sound might be mono, the footage a bit wobbly, but for Live Aid completists, these fan-sourced recordings remain the most complete way to relive the day.
Many of these unofficial tapes have since been shared online, exchanged between collectors, or archived on file-sharing sites. If you’re determined to see every last second—maybe a sidestage moment with David Bowie, or a camera angle the TV director switched away from too fast—these rough-cut versions are still out there if you dig deep enough.
The 40th anniversary is already seeing a wave of nostalgia and new discoveries. In 2025, YouTube rolled out extended access to more than ten hours of Live Aid content, hoping to get a new generation hooked. With major outlets spotlighting Queen’s set and the event’s unmatched sweep, now is the best time to revisit the greatest day in rock—or to catch it for the first time, and see how much of pop culture was born in those stadiums on a single summer’s day.
