The day music changed the world and we all tuned in to witness it

Forty years ago tomorrow, on July 13, 1985, the world stopped, or at least tuned in, as the most ambitious concert ever staged brought together rock royalty and a television audience of over 1.5 billion, all in the name of saving lives.

- by David McLean

More than just a concert, Live Aid was a moment when the UK, through the vision of pop stars Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, galvanised the world into action.

What unfolded across two continents that day would reshape not only how we view charity, but how we harness the power of entertainment for global good.

The seeds of Live Aid were sown the previous winter, when the BBC broadcast Michael Buerk's harrowing report from famine-stricken Ethiopia. It shocked British households into silence.

One of those watching was Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof. Days later, he and Ultravox's Midge Ure had penned Do They Know It's Christmas? - a song that topped the UK charts and raised millions for famine relief.