19/06/2026
Iconic Live Aid Photographic Exhibition Opens in Killarney
A new photographic exhibition has officially opened to the public at the Government Offices in Killarney, County Kerry, featuring iconic images and audiovisual displays from the landmark Live Aid concerts staged at Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in July 1985.
The National Library of Ireland's (NLI) Live Aid Exhibition comprises more than 70 photographs capturing the era-defining event. The concerts united international musical talent to draw global attention to the devastating impacts of world hunger. An estimated 1.9 billion people across 150 countries tuned into the historic satellite broadcasts, marking it as one of the largest television events in history.
Visitors can view photographs of globally renowned performers from the era, including Status Quo, Madonna, U2, David Bowie, Tina Turner, and Run DMC.
The exhibition was originally launched in September 2025 at the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, Dublin, by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan T.D. This newly created travelling version allows the public to view the collection free of charge in the ground floor reception of the Government Offices on New Road, Killarney, while the original display continues to run in Temple Bar.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, TD, said: "It is particularly gratifying that this exhibition has been extended outside of Dublin, providing greater public access to a unique snapshot in time. These once-in-a-generation images showcase Ireland's enduring empathy for those afflicted by world hunger in all its guises."
Director of the NLI, Dr Audrey Whitty, said: "Live Aid remains one of the defining cultural moments of the 1980s. It is remembered as a global event and a response to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. Thanks to the Band Aid Charitable Trust's generous donation of its archive to the National Library of Ireland, the material is now held as part of the national collections. This exhibition of photographs draws on that archive, bringing it to audiences in Kerry."
The curated collection of images has been sourced from the Band Aid Trust Archive, which was formally donated to the National Library of Ireland in 2017.
The exhibition is open to the public from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The National Library of Ireland's (NLI) Live Aid Exhibition comprises more than 70 photographs capturing the era-defining event. The concerts united international musical talent to draw global attention to the devastating impacts of world hunger. An estimated 1.9 billion people across 150 countries tuned into the historic satellite broadcasts, marking it as one of the largest television events in history.
Visitors can view photographs of globally renowned performers from the era, including Status Quo, Madonna, U2, David Bowie, Tina Turner, and Run DMC.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, TD, said: "It is particularly gratifying that this exhibition has been extended outside of Dublin, providing greater public access to a unique snapshot in time. These once-in-a-generation images showcase Ireland's enduring empathy for those afflicted by world hunger in all its guises."
Director of the NLI, Dr Audrey Whitty, said: "Live Aid remains one of the defining cultural moments of the 1980s. It is remembered as a global event and a response to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. Thanks to the Band Aid Charitable Trust's generous donation of its archive to the National Library of Ireland, the material is now held as part of the national collections. This exhibition of photographs draws on that archive, bringing it to audiences in Kerry."
The curated collection of images has been sourced from the Band Aid Trust Archive, which was formally donated to the National Library of Ireland in 2017.
The exhibition is open to the public from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
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