Farm Aid ploughs ahead for 40th edition
Organisers of the longest-running charity concert, anchored by Willie Nelson, preview this year’s milestone ahead of the landmark event
News By Hanna Ellington | 19 September 2025
“Wouldn’t it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?” posed Bob Dylan during the monumental Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia on 13 July 1985. Months later, that sentiment came true.
Farm Aid premiered on 22 September 1985, brought to fruition by its guiding beacon Willie Nelson, alongside founders Neil Young and John Mellencamp. The first edition saw over 50 artists play to an estimated 80,000 attendees at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium…
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