To mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, we attended a special performance of Just For One Day at the Shaftesbury Theatre - a new musical that tells the story behind the iconic 1985 concert, blending unforgettable music, humour, and a powerful message that continues to support global change.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, we attended a special performance of Just For One Day at the Shaftesbury Theatre - a new musical that tells the story behind the iconic 1985 concert, blending unforgettable music, humour, and a powerful message that continues to support global change.
We spent the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, attending a special performance of the new musical Just For One Day at the Shaftsbury Theatre in London’s West End.
The Musical tells the story of how Bob Geldof began to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia by collaborating with the biggest names in music to release a charity single (that you will have heard every Christmas) and hold a huge benefit concert in 1985.
After the performance we were joined by Bob Geldof himself alongside Midge Ure, Brian May, Harvey Goldsmith and the some of the wider team from the Band Aid Charity.
There were songs by Staus Quo, Queen, Elton John, The Who, The Beatles and of course the Boomtown Rats. The actors and musicians performing were incredible.
It was a really fun performance, with a lot of comedy but still sharing a serious message. Highlights were Craige Els being Bob Geldof himself, Julie Atherton essentially rapping as Margaret Thatcher and Fayth Ifil taking the baton for the next generation.
Just for One Day is now playing 8 shows a week until January and 10% of all ticket sales goes directly to The Band Aid Charitable Trust, with the goal of raising £2,000,000 by the end of 2025!
Find out more about Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical here.
Live Aid was a dual-venue benefit concert held on 13 July 1985, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the famine crisis in Ethiopia. The main events took place at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, with over 72,000 people attending in the UK alone and an estimated global audience of 1.5 billion watching on TV.
The UK concert featured performances from some of the biggest names in music history, including Queen, David Bowie, U2, Elton John, The Who, and Paul McCartney. Queen's set, in particular, is often hailed as one of the greatest live performances of all time. The event not only raised more than £150 million for famine relief but also set the standard for large-scale charitable events.
Just For One Day is a new musical now playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End, inspired by the story of Band Aid and Live Aid. Written by John O’Farrell, the musical uses music by iconic artists who took part in the original events — including songs by Queen, Elton John, The Who, Status Quo, and The Boomtown Rats.
