Greatest Hits Radio recreates Live Aid for 40th anniversary special

Greatest Hits Radio will mark forty years since Live Aid by replaying the entire global concert exactly as it happened, complete with original performances and new stories.

In a UK radio first, the station has partnered with the Band Aid Trust to recreate the legendary benefit gig in real time on Sunday 13 July.

From midday until 10pm, Simon Mayo will guide listeners through the original Wembley Stadium sets, with reflections from fellow presenters Martin Kemp, Jackie Brambles, Ken Bruce, Jenny Powell, Richard Allinson and Kate Thornton.

Speaking about the tribute, Simon Mayo said: “I was there as a paying customer forty years ago and I can’t wait to relive that extraordinary day. Apart from finding a place to park in Wembley of course.”

Bob Geldof, co-founder of the Band Aid Trust, added: “Thank you Greatest Hits Radio for hopefully letting people know that they are not powerless in the face of human monstrosity. What better time than now to know and understand the power of music and what it can achieve.”

Fans will hear memories from people behind the scenes, plus stories from cast members of the new West End show Just For One Day, which retells the story for a new generation.

The broadcast will close with Live Aid: 40 Years On, a new Bauer Media podcast series produced by Gimme Sugar, which features exclusive interviews with key players like Geldof, Midge Ure, Roger Taylor, Sir Brian May and Harvey Goldsmith.

Bob Geldof praised the new podcast, saying: “This is the story of when and how rock music took on the world… and won. Maybe the greatest series of radio documentaries about Live Aid I have listened to — and believe me, there have been thousands.”

Andy Ashton, Network Content Director for Greatest Hits Radio, said, “To recreate Live Aid for a radio audience, forty years on, is a huge honour. We’re grateful to the Band Aid Trust for trusting us to tell this story again.”