Live Aid Exhibition Opens in Killarney

On Friday, 19 June, the National Library of Ireland launched a second location for their Live Aid photographic exhibition in Killarney, Co. Kerry. The exhibition showcases the landmark Live Aid concerts at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and Wembley Stadium in London. Watched by an estimated audience of more than 1.5 billion people across 150 countries, Live Aid was an unprecedented moment in both global fundraising and television broadcasting.

The free exhibition, on display at the Government Offices in Killarney, features more than 70 photographs capturing the scale, energy and emotion of the historic event. Donated to the National Library in 2017, the images have been carefully curated from the Band Aid Trust Archive. Visitors can see rare photographs of music legends including U2, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Madonna, offering a vivid glimpse into one of the most iconic concerts in music history.

The exhibition, located in the Government Offices in Killarney, is open to the public Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm.

The original Live Aid exhibition continues to attract visitors at the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, where it has proved a popular destination since opening in autumn 2025.

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.” 

Generously supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.