Culture
Live Aid 40 years on celebrated with new photographic exhibition
A new photographic exhibition at the National Photographic Archive brings audiences face-to-face with the colour, energy and emotion of the two iconic Live Aid concerts held at Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in July 1985 – enjoy a gallery of images above.
and Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Audrey Whitty
at the National Photographic Archive (Pic: Marc O’Sullivan)
More than seventy photographs and images have been carefully curated from the Band Aid Trust Archive, donated to the National Library of Ireland in 2017, capturing the behind-the-scenes preparations, atmosphere and some of the iconic performances by bands and artists on both sides of the Atlantic as the iconic event unfolded, from Status Quo, U2 and David Bowie in London, to Black Sabbath and Run DMC in Philadelphia.
(Pic: Jeremy Nicholl © The Band Aid Charitable Trust and The National Library of Ireland)
Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof said: “Band Aid has gifted its archives to the National Library of Ireland. It seemed a fitting home since Ireland magnificently rose to the day and pro rata gifted more to Live Aid than any other country on Earth. It also seemed appropriate as so much of the logic of Live Aid was formed by its organisers and participants in Ireland in their youth.
(Pic: Ebet Roberts © The Band Aid Charitable Trust and The National Library of Ireland)
“As the custodians of this trove sift through the vast amounts of documents, this exhibition will be the first of many. The Band Aid Trustees are satisfied that the National Library cherish their gift and understand its values not just as a source of contemporary cultural history but as a future resource for further exhibitions of use to students of politics, economics and development but also to schoolchildren who may come to learn that the world is not immutable. That change is possible and this is how, long ago another generation set about enacting that change through using a common global language called Rock ‘n’ Roll, the genius of their artists and the generosity of their audience. Band Aid continues working for the poorest people in Africa up to the moment you are reading this.”
The Live Aid Exhibition is at the National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Dublin until 2027 – find out more here
