U2 celebrate 50th anniversary with concerts in Dublin and their former high school The band also paid tribute to “king busker” Glen Hansard

U2 returned to their former high school and played a surprise gig from Dublin’s Grafton Street yesterday (September 25) for special concerts to mark their 50th anniversary as a band. Check out photos, footage and more from what went down below. READ MORE: U2 – ‘Songs Of Surrender’ review: the classics, but not as you know them Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. – who played his first live concert since undergoing neck and back surgery in 2023 – performed in front of 1,000 pupils and staff above Mount Temple Comprehensive’s school playground, half a century after their sticksman first posted the handwritten note: “Drummer seeks musicians to form band”. Speaking ahead of the show on the playground, the band’s former RE teacher Sophie Shirley, now 80, told NME about seeing the note for the first time. U2 performing at Mount Temple in 1977. Credit: Press/supplied “I remember it well,” she said. “One day I happened to mention ‘God has a particular purpose for each individual’ and Larry’s hand went up and he said: ‘Miss I want to be a drummer in a band’. I’d never seen Larry speak with such emphasis and he never spoke up so much like that.” She continued: “I had to walk past the noticeboard to go to the staff room so when I saw the notice for the first time, I thought, ‘Oh Larry’s doing something about it’, but I never thought it was going to go anywhere. I never thought I’d see them come back to the school like this today, not even when I saw the note.” The band played for the first time in Mullen Jr.’s parents’ kitchen 50 years to the day and went on to play their first gig on the exact same stage in a school talent contest, performing covers. Yesterday, U2 returned to perform a seven song set which included the first live performance of their new single ‘Silencio’, released the day before.Recommended “We’ve escaped the lab,” Bono declared as the four-piece arrived onstage. “How’s the experiment working for you?” he added as pupils waved signs saying “I love U2” and “It’s a beautiful day – no school.” U2 live at Mount Temple in Dublin, 2026. Credit: Rich Fury Initially, it felt like the band were back on their school instruments as Bono’s mic momentarily completely cut out as the four-piece kicked off early single ‘I Will Follow’. They went on to blast through ‘Vertigo’, a spine-tingling ‘Beautiful Day’ which saw Bono slip in lyrics from Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’, debut single ‘Out Of Control’ and a poignant rendition of ‘One’. For the latter, U2 were backed on strings by 32 students from Music Generation, Ireland’s music education programme, funded and established by the band 15 years ago. “This island is full of song and music and mischief and we’re so proud to be Irish,” Bono told the crowd before they performed their iconic single. With the pupils chanting “one more song” as they left the stage, U2 soon returned to end the show with classic hit ‘With Or Without You’. Later in the evening, they packed out Grafton Street for a surprise set from the balcony of Bewley’s Cafe. Ahead of the show, NME was treated to a playback of four tracks from their new album ‘Carnaval De Luz’ at former music venue McGonagles, where U2 played many of their early shows in the late 70s. Along with new single ‘Silencio’, album track ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ got its first airing. The song begins with a rhythmic drum beat over an eerie guitar and thudding bass line before it opens up into a skyscraping anthem much like ‘Get Out Of Your Own Way’ and ‘City Of Blinding Lights’. Album closer, ‘Torn’, featuring Dolly Parton’s last recorded vocal performance, was also showcased. The tender ballad documents her two sons squabbling over their differences as she gently sings: “I love you both but I feel so torn” on the opening verse before she trades vocals with Bono on the chorus. U2’s show on Grafton Street featured a similar set to their earlier performance at their former high school, only this time they paid tribute to Glen Hansard, who died in a motorcyle accident back in July. The Oscar winner regularly used to busk on the same street and Bono paid tribute to his late friend, pointing out the spot where he used to perform. “One man who will never be silenced, silencioed, never could, never would was Glen Hansard,” the frontman recalled. “He was the king busker, king of Grafton Street.” The band then performed a stirring rendition of ‘All I Want Is You’ before following it up with the late musician’s Oscar winning folk song ‘Falling Slowly’, with The Edge on vocals. This comes after Bono spoke and performed at the late Frames frontman’s funeral. As they wrapped up their show, the crowd chanted for “one more tune” and started singing the words to ‘War’ classic ‘40’. U2 live at Grafton Street, Dublin. Credit: Rich Fury U2 live at Grafton Street, Dublin. Credit: Rich Fury “That’s a really good suggestion from the jukebox jury,” Bono said to the crowd as The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton swapped instruments to perform the song which often ended their shows during their earlier tours. Speaking about the gig, longtime U2 fan Cormse Jones from Dublin told NME: “It was brilliant. They were all bangers and no clangers. The sound was also incredible for a street gig and Bono was amazing.” U2 release their “messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs” with new album ‘Carnaval De Luz’ arriving on November 13. Produced by Jacknife Lee, the 12-song collection tackles themes of spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance, and comes on the heels of the group surprise releasing two six-track EPs earlier this year: ‘Days Of Ash’ and ‘Easter Lily’.