Queen play 1985 Live Aid setlist “for first time in history” for Australian bushfire benefit

Queen and Adam Lambert played the band’s setlist from their iconic 1985 Live Aid concert for Fire Fight Australia, the massive Australian bushfire benefit concert held in Sydney today (February 16).

This was the band’s first time performing the original 22-minute set “for the first time in its history”, Queen noted in a social media post earlier today.

View this post on Instagram

For The First Time In Its History, Queen, Fronted By Singer @adamlambert will perform the Band’s Iconic 1985 Live Aid Set tonight for Fire Fight Australia Benefit Concert! Queen will perform in full its original 22 minute Live Aid set. The six-song set includes Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, Hammer To Fall, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest live performances of all time! Fans can follow the event here on @firefightaustralia Please donate over at www.firefightAustralia.com The sold-out event will air live in Australia on Channel 7 and 7plus, and FOX8 and Foxtel GO from 1pm AEDT on Sunday 16 February. UK audiences will be able to see selected highlights on Sky One HD from 8pm on Monday 17th February. #Queen #QAL2020 #firefightaustralia

A post shared by Queen (@officialqueenmusic) on Feb 16, 2020 at 1:11am PST

At Fire Fight Australia, Queen even broadcast footage of late frontman Freddie Mercury to replicate how Mercury encouraged the 1985 Live Aid audience at Wembley in an energetic singalong, only to light-heartedly tell them “Fuck you” afterwards.

Watch the moment take place in Sydney’s ANZ Stadium:

The Freddie Mercury cameo was the highlight of #FireFightAustralia pic.twitter.com/088KpXd5mQ

— Wade Shipard (@wadeshipard) February 16, 2020

Brian May had previously described Fire Fight Australia as a benefit concert “a bit like Live Aid” when he initially revealed that Queen had been approached to play the event.

And watch other snippets of Queen’s set here:

Queen and Adam Lambert opening with Bohemian Rhapsody. Crowds are roaring. #FireFightAustralia pic.twitter.com/GQ1Agy7xpS

— Georgia Clark (@GeorgiaBClark) February 16, 2020

Wow – Queen did their actual Live Aid set at #FireFightAustralia for the first time since 1985 pic.twitter.com/5W5W2CAO4l

— cameron adams (@cameron_adams) February 16, 2020

For the first time since their historic Live Aid performance in 1985, Queen – featuring US singer Adam Lambert, have replicated their full, 22 minute set at #FireFightAustralia, including video footage of Freddie Mercury @australian pic.twitter.com/3lLlbpuqbC

— Emily Ritchie (@emritchiejourno) February 16, 2020

Brian May doing the solo from Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

That is all.#FireFightAustralia pic.twitter.com/pBSBYD3eIf

— It's All Complete Bollocks! (@RichardTuffin) February 16, 2020

Fire Fight Australia is being broadcast live in Australia via Channel Seven and Foxtel. Viewers in the UK will be able to watch selected highlights on Sky One HD from 8pm on Monday, February 17.

Besides Queen, other acts playing Fire Fight Australia included Alice Cooper, k.d. Lang, Ronan Keating and Michael Buble.

Aussie artists playing the massive event included Olivia Newton-John, Daryl Braithwaite, Hilltop Hoods, Icehouse, Amy Shark, Baker Boy, Peking Duk and many more.

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