A look back at Michael Jackson's iconic 1988 Bad tour concert at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, attended by 125,000 fans. The article features recollections from those involved in organizing the event and highlights the concert's lasting impact.
'The whole thing was completely and utterly magical. It was life-changing. It wasn't just a concert about music; when he was performing and hovering above people, it felt unreal.
' On 11 September 1988, Michael Jackson brought the British leg of his Bad tour to a close with a show at Aintree Racecourse. Tickets were just £16.50 at the time - roughly £58 in 2026 - and fans queued through the night to secure a place at what would become one of the most memorable concerts the city has hosted. Around 125,000 people turned out for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
The crowd sang, danced and watched in awe , with many arriving hours early hoping to get as close to the stage as possible. Mark Jones hosted the evening, introducing Kim Wilde as the support act before the King of Pop made his entrance. Those in attendance were treated to a set packed with his 18 most iconic hits, including 'Smooth Criminal', 'Thriller', 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean', and 'Bad'.
For the encore, he returned with 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and 'Man in the Mirror,' sending the crowd into a frenzy. Liverpool's public relationships guru Carolyn Hughes had just started working at Radio City when the owner, Terry Smith, secured the gig's date. Tasked with organising the hospitality package guests for one of the biggest occasions in the city’s history at 26-years-old, it's a job she remains very proud of.
She told the ECHO: 'We sold 125,000 tickets, making it the largest concert by a solo artist ever in the UK at that time. Quite a coup for Radio City and so exciting to be involved with. It created a buzz around the city like nothing we had seen before – just what we imagined Beatlemania was like in decades gone by.
' Carolyn said the event was challenging and the stakes were high. She added: 'Trying to control ticket sales and minimise touts was a challenge.
'Myself and my colleague Molly Marshall, worked into the early hours of the morning finalising corporate tickets and guest requirements and the day itself was a long but very rewarding and very memorable one. To see one of the world's biggest solo artists performing in your home city and the kudos it brought to the radio station that brought him here was beyond anything I had seen before or since.
'It was one of local radio’s finest hours and paved the way for many other things. While it sounds quite glamorous being in charge of the hospitality - and I suppose it was - the truth was, the hospitality was at the back of a very large, vocal crowd and I remember Michael as a very talented dot in the distance performing his trademark moves.
'But I can always say, I did the hospitality for one of the biggest occasions in the city’s history and it is something I am very proud of. Sacha Lord, the chair of the Night Time Industries Association , was one of the lucky attendees, joined by his schoolfriends at 16-years-old.
The night-time economy advisor for Greater Manchester told the ECHO the gig changed the trajectory of his life, certain that, without being there, he would never have founded Parklife festival or The Warehouse Project. He said: 'I'm confident that if I didn't go to the concert at Aintree those events wouldn't have happened. I always liked my music but that completely woke me up. That whole experience let me know I needed to do something with music.
I had never seen anything like it. It was my first gig and there were, what felt like, hundreds of thousands of people.
'As a football fan, it was a little intimidating walking through Old Trafford at times, but it was nothing like that. Everyone was there for that one purpose, no wrong or drunk behaviour and everyone was happy.
' One of Sacha's friends helped get the group to the front by pretending she was pregnant and in need of a better space. He said: 'The whole thing was completely and utterly magical. It was life changing. It wasn't just a concert about music; when he was performing and hovering above people, it felt unreal.
' Even after watching Prince in concert, Sacha believes he doesn't come close to replicating the feeling of Michael's stage presence and power. He added: 'You have all these huge stars now but it's not the same. Forget Taylor Swift - she's great - but she's not Michael Jackson. '
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