Do They Know It's Christmas? 'ultimate' 40th anniversary version with original Band Aid stars set for release

The new mix will bring together the voices of the original 1984 performers, including George Michael, Sting, and Boy George, with younger artists such as Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, and the Sugababes, who participated in later versions of the track.

The song will also feature a unique duet of Bono’s younger and older voices on the track’s famous line: “Well tonight thank God it’s them, instead of you.” The singers are backed by a Band Aid house band that includes Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Phil Collins, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood.

The 40th-anniversary remix also incorporates voices from Sam Smith, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Rita Ora, Sinead O’Connor, Seal, Robbie Williams, and Bananarama. Late stars like David Bowie will appear in a newly created video, with Bowie introducing the song’s lineup and archival footage of newsreader Michael Buerk’s report on the Ethiopian famine that inspired the song.

Organisers described the remix as blending “all the voices into one seamless whole,” with proceeds going to the Band Aid Trust to continue its humanitarian efforts.

First released in 1984 and spearheaded by Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure, Do They Know It’s Christmas? raised funds to combat famine in Ethiopia. It became the fastest-selling single in UK history at the time, topping the charts for five weeks and selling over three million copies.

The song’s success inspired the historic Live Aid concerts in 1985, featuring performances from artists such as Queen, David Bowie, and Elton John. Over the decades, subsequent versions of the song—Band Aid II (1989), Band Aid 20 (2004), and Band Aid 30 (2014)—raised funds for various global crises, including Sudan’s Darfur region and the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

The Do They Know It’s Christmas? - 2024 Ultimate Mix will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming platforms on November 25, the exact date of the original recording session in 1984. Physical copies on CD and vinyl will be available starting November 29, and the remix will feature on a compilation that includes previous versions and the Live Aid Wembley performance from 1985.

Sir Peter Blake, the artist behind the original single’s sleeve design, has returned at the age of 93 to create new cover art for the 40th-anniversary edition.