It has been 40 years since the world came together for Live Aid—a global concert that redefined the power of music.
Broadcast to over a billion people and spanning two continents, the legendary event raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia and cemented its place as one of the most iconic humanitarian efforts in modern history.
Two locations were selected for the mega-concert: Wembley Stadium, London, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.
Almost 100,000 people attended the concert in South Philadelphia, which featured Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Madonna, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It had a reunion of Led Zeppelin. Phil Collins also made an appearance on drums.
The birth of a stadium
JFK Stadium began its life as the first stadium located in what is now the South Philadelphia Sport Complex. The football and track stadium was designed in the same horseshoe design that replicated Harvard Stadium , and was completed in 1926 — the same year that the Frankford Yellow Jackets won an NFL Championship in Northeast Philadelphia.
The 200,000 seat venue opened as Sesquicentennial Stadium. It was actually only after the conclusion of the Sesquicentennial International Exposition.event in 1926, when it’s name changed to Philadelphia Municipal
A legendary venue
JFK Stadium saw its home team Philadelphia Quakers of the AFL win a championship title there in 1926, played home to the Yellow Jackets after their own stadium was damaged by fire in 1931, the Eagles from 1936 to 1939 and 1941, the annual Army/Navy game from 1936 to 1979, the NCAA Liberty Bowl from 1959 to 1963, and the World League Liberty Bell in 1974.
As the decades passed — John F. Kennedy Stadium was also the site of many events. In the autumn of 1926 , over 120,000 people braved a rainstorm to witness Gene Tunney defeat Jack Dempsey in boxing. Rocky Marciano defeated Jersey Joe Walcott there in 1952. It even hosted a USA Bicentennial Cup Tournament Game in 1976.
JFK Stadium also was a venue for concerts including the Beatles, Peter Frampton, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Huey Lewis & the News, Rick James, the Who, Journey, and Bob Dylan among others.
Under Mayor Wilson Goode’s administration, JKF Stadium was condemned due to fire and structural concerns. On Sept. 23, 1992 , JFK Stadium was demolished. The 1993 Lollapalooza Concert was held on the former site of JFK Stadium — the site where the Wells Fargo Center now stands today.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is a member of the Old York Road and Wissahickon Historical Societies and lives and works in Abington Township.
