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List of highest-grossing benefit concerts

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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.

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

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 allegedly 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

More information Rank, Actual gross ...
Top 20 highest-grossing benefit concerts of all time
Rank Actual gross Adjusted gross
(in 2025 dollars)		 Event Beneficiaries Year Attendance Ref.
1 $100,000,000 $299,350,248 Live Aid Band Aid Trust 1985 170,000 [4]
2 $150,000,000 $272,740,086 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 $159,238,781 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 $85,632,535 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 $80,299,976 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Mercury Phoenix Trust 1992 72,000 [1]
8 $50,000,000 $70,118,858 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief Robin Hood Foundation 2012 [10]
9 $40,000,000 $65,939,683 A Concert for Hurricane Relief American Red Cross 2005 N/A [11]
10 $45,000,000 $63,106,972 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert Oxford University 2007 18,000 [12]
11 $30,000,000 $54,548,017 The Concert for New York City Robin Hood Foundation 2001 14,000 [13]
12 $30,000,000 $49,454,762 Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast American Red Cross
The Salvation Army		 2005 N/A [11]
13 $12,000,000 $35,922,030 The Concert for Bangladesh UNICEF 1971 40,000 [14]
14 $18,300,000 $30,167,405 Tsunami Aid American Red Cross 2005 N/A [15]
15 $29,000,000 $29,762,915 Stand Up for Heroes Bob Woodruff Foundation 2024 2,700 [16]
16 $7,000,000 $26,941,522 Farm Aid National Council of Churches 1985 80,000 [17]
17 $12,000,000 $19,781,905 Live 8 Band Aid Trust 2005 1,000,000 [18]
18 $13,000,000 $17,075,075 One Love Manchester We Love Manchester Emergency Fund 2017 50,000 [19]
19 $5,000,000 $13,611,424 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 $10,467,543 Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute Nelson Mandela Foundation 2008 46,664 [21]
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