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Four decades after Live Aid took over two continents and television sets around the world, its ripples across music and art activism are still being felt. In the new CNN Original, Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took on the World, series producer Angus MacQueen and his team dig beneath the surface of the historic event, going beyond the familiar images to uncover the behind-the-scenes story: the tensions, the unexpected alliances, the voices left, and the legacy that’s both complicated and enduring.

We spoke with MacQueen about why now is the right time to revisit this moment and what he uncovered along the way.

The series aims to tell the definitive story of Live Aid. Given the monumental nature of the event and its ongoing legacy, what aspects of the story did you feel were most crucial to highlight that haven't been adequately explored in previous retellings?

 In 2025, there is a widespread questioning of the purpose and value of Live Aid. We set out to capture how the language of rock'n'roll spoke to a generation of American and British people, inspiring them to help and give.  It was also vital to hear the Ethiopian voices, both Government Ministers, and in the case of Birhan Woldu, the dying girl who became the face of the 1985 concert and then joined Madonna onstage in 2005.  At the same time, we wanted to confront some of the controversies that swirl around the concert and its aftermath, both in terms of who performed and how the money was spent. 

The series covers not only Live Aid but also Band Aid and Live 8. What was the thinking behind connecting these distinct events, and what through-line or evolution of the "rock 'n' roll took on the world" narrative did you hope to demonstrate across them?

We decided to cover both the 1985 Concert in Philadelphia and London, and the 2005 Live 8 Concert, which took place in 8 cities around the world, because the connection spoke to the true legacy of 1985: "a journey from charity to justice", as Bono puts it. What many learnt was that while charity is important, it is only governments that can help address the huge and varied issues that confront the countries of Africa. In the case of Bono, one of those legacies was PEPFAR, the US campaign to address the scourge of AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, which under successive US administrations down to 2025 has saved an estimated 26 million lives. What a triumph, and a direct descendant of Live Aid, now under immediate threat.

Forty years later, what do you hope viewers, especially younger generations who may only know Live Aid by name, will take away from this series about the enduring power and complexities of using popular culture for social change?

We all can make something happen. Bob Geldof was an Irish rockstar past his sell-by date when he saw something that shamed and angered him. He did something, which ended up resonating through the decades since, not just saving countless lives directly, but inspiring others to act. If the series does anything, we hope it will motivate people today, still facing a world of conflict and famine, poverty, and inequity. Don't just sit there criticizing, do something. Geldof did, and look at what happened.