More than 200,000 revellers packed into the capital for a concert that has featured performances from Coldplay, Dido, Scissor Sisters, Ms Dynamite, R.E.M and Madonna.

As the big screens in Hyde Park linked up to concerts in Rome, Berlin, Philadelphia, Paris and Johannesburg, a flock of doves was released above the crowd.

To begin with it was left to the music to do the talking, as U2 lead singer Bono sang: “You’re such a lovely audience, we’d like to take you home with us.”

After performing It’s a Beautiful Day, the poverty campaigner had a spoken message for the audience, too, as he asked for their continued support in persuading the world leaders meeting at this week’s G8 summit to take action to end poverty.

“This is our moment. This is our time,” he said. “This is our chance to stand up for what’s right. We’re not looking for charity, we’re looking for justice. We can’t fix every problem, but the ones we can fix, we must.”

U2 were followed by band-of-the moment Coldplay, who opened with In My Place, and were joined by the Verve singer Richard Ashcroft, for Bittersweet Symphony.

Elton John, whose appearance was early in the programme, so that he could fly to Dublin for another gig this evening, sang Children of the Revolution with the controversial singer, Pete Doherty.

Efforts had been made to show that enthusiasm for the Make Poverty History campaign extended beyond the world of rock and roll. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, took to the stage to introduce Dido and lend his support to the event.

“I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act,” he said. “The huge turnout for Live 8 here and around the world proves that.”

“I’ve learned that success depends on knowing what works and brinigng resources to the problem. We know what to do the generosity we are asking for can save millions of lives. We can do this, and when we do it will be the best thing that humanity has ever done.”

Another unexpected appearance was Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the UN: “This really is the United Nations,” he said to the crowd. “The whole world has come together in solidarity with the poor. On behalf of the poor, the voiceless and the weak, I thank you.”

Bob Geldof performed the Boomtown Rats song I Don’t Like Mondays, with Travis, but apologized to the crowd first “I just couldn’t resist,” he said. However, the concert organiser was unapologetic in his commitment to his cause, later showing the crowd a video of a skeletal little Ethiopian girl, on the verge of starvation – that had been part of the original Live Aid campaign 20 years ago.

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