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List of highest-grossing benefit concerts

Live Aid is the highest-grossing benefit concert of all time.

The following is a list of benefit concerts that have generated the most gross income. Figures provided are in USD, and are sorted based on inflation-adjusted gross earnings.

They do not reflect later adjustments made due to additional donations received, or production costs incurred. Organizers of The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, for instance, declared $35 million had been raised at the conclusion of that event.[1] However, travel accommodation expenses for the event's performers decreased their net charitable contribution significantly.[1]

Malfeasance is also disregarded, such as the charity Yéle Haiti embezzling money raised by Hope for Haiti Now.[2] Funds raised by Live Aid to alleviate the famine in Ethiopia were famously distributed to dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, who instead used them to purchase weaponry.[3]

Live Aid has remained the highest-grossing benefit concert since 1985, when it overtook that title from The Concert for Bangladesh.

Highest-grossing benefit concerts

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Top 20 highest-grossing benefit concerts of all time
Rank Actual gross Adjusted gross
(in 2024 dollars) 		Event Beneficiaries Year Attendance Ref.
1 $100,000,000 $292,357,673 Live Aid Band Aid Trust 1985 170,000 [4]
2 $150,000,000 $266,369,104 America: A Tribute to Heroes September 11th Fund 2001 N/A [5]
3 $190,000,000 $190,000,000 Back to the Beginning Acorns Children's Hospice
Birmingham Children's
Cure Parkinson's 		2025 45,000 [6]
4 $128,000,000 $155,519,095 Together at Home COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund 2020 N/A [7]
5 $100,000,000 $100,000,000 FireAid Annenberg Foundation 2025 [8]
6 $58,000,000 $83,632,230 Hope for Haiti Now Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
Oxfam America
Partners In Health
Red Cross
UNICEF
World Food Programme
Yéle Haiti 		2010 N/A [9]
7 $35,000,000 $78,424,235 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Mercury Phoenix Trust 1992 72,000 [1]
8 $50,000,000 $68,480,939 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief Robin Hood Foundation 2012 [10]
9 $40,000,000 $64,399,387 A Concert for Hurricane Relief American Red Cross 2005 N/A [11]
10 $45,000,000 $61,632,845 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert Oxford University 2007 18,000 [12]
11 $30,000,000 $53,273,821 The Concert for New York City Robin Hood Foundation 2001 14,000 [13]
12 $30,000,000 $48,299,540 Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast American Red Cross
The Salvation Army 		2005 N/A [11]
13 $12,000,000 $35,082,921 The Concert for Bangladesh UNICEF 1971 40,000 [14]
14 $18,300,000 $29,462,719 Tsunami Aid American Red Cross 2005 N/A [15]
15 $29,000,000 $29,000,000 Stand Up for Heroes Bob Woodruff Foundation 2024 2,700 [16]
16 $7,000,000 $26,312,191 Farm Aid National Council of Churches 1985 80,000 [17]
17 $12,000,000 $19,319,816 Live 8 Band Aid Trust 2005 1,000,000 [18]
18 $13,000,000 $16,676,215 One Love Manchester We Love Manchester Emergency Fund 2017 50,000 [19]
19 $5,000,000 $13,293,472 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Bishop Ambrose Reeves Trust
CAFOD
Christian Aid
IDAF
Oxfam
Save the Children
War on Want 		1988 75,000 [20]
20 $7,000,000 $10,223,029 Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute Nelson Mandela Foundation 2008 46,664 [21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c DiMartino, Dave (July 17, 1992). "Mercurial Muddle". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  2. ^ Sontag, Deborah (October 12, 2012). "Quake-Hit Haiti Gains Little as Wyclef Jean Charity Spends Much". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  3. ^ Keating, Bob (July 13, 2015). "Live Aid: The Terrible Truth". SPIN. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  4. ^ "Live Aid concert raises more than $100 million for famine relief in Africa". History Channel. November 24, 2009. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  5. ^ "Tribute Raises $150 Million". ABC News. September 27, 2001. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  6. ^ Perry, Kevin E G (July 9, 2025). "Ozzy Osbourne's final Black Sabbath concert raised $190 million for charity". The Independent. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  7. ^ Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (April 19, 2020). "'One World' Concert Curated By Lady Gaga Raises Millions To Combat Coronavirus". NPR. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Dolak, Kevin (February 4, 2025). "FireAid Benefit Concerts Estimated to Have Raised $100M for Los Angeles". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  9. ^ "'Hope for Haiti' raises $58 million and counting". CNN. January 23, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Lewis, Randy (December 19, 2012). "First $50 million from '121212' concert going to Sandy relief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Katrina Telethon, Benefit Totals Roll In". Billboard. September 15, 2005. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  12. ^ Fanelli, Damian (March 2, 2012). "Led Zeppelin's 2007 Reunion Concert Raises Millions for Oxford University". Guitar World. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  13. ^ "Concert Brought in $30 Million". The New York Times. November 6, 2001. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  14. ^ Johnston, David (June 2, 1985). "BANGLADESH: THE BENEFIT THAT ALMOST WASN'T". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  15. ^ "NBC telethons raise millions". Los Angeles Times. January 22, 2005. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  16. ^ DiGiacomo, Frank (November 13, 2024). "Bruce Springsteen and 5 Other Memorable Moments From Stand Up for Heroes Benefit". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  17. ^ Uphues, Connor (September 7, 2022). "For The Family Farmer. First Farm Aid Lights up Memorial Stadium in 1985". champaign-co-history. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  18. ^ LeGrand, Emmanuel (October 30, 2005). "Live 8 yields US$12 million windfall". NZ Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  19. ^ "Ariana Grande's Manchester Benefit Concert Raised $13 Million". TIME. June 5, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  20. ^ "Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert". Classic Pop Magazine. June 11, 2025. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  21. ^ Williams, Murray (June 30, 2008). "Mandela concert raises millions". IOL. Retrieved July 17, 2025.