Speaking on the New York Times’ Interview podcast, U2’s Bono discussed some of the advice that they’ve heeded from Sulinna Ong – newly appointed to the band’s management team alongside Irving and Jeffrey Azoff – on how to cut through in this fragmented era of culture and music: show up in unexpected places. That seemingly began in September with a return to their old school, 50 years on from their formation, and popped up again on Grafton Street in Dublin for a surprise free show.
Before U2 tackles the NFL’s Thanksgiving halftime show later this month – following 2025’s appearance by Beyoncé – the band continued its surprising streak with a secret show at London’s Tate Modern Museum on Tuesday (Nov. 3). The location was only revealed to fans hours before the show began, with entry only possible via a ballot win.
Even then came another twist: the band would not be gracing the Turbine Hall, where performers such as PJ Harvey and Kraftwerk have filled the cavernous room with their songs. Instead, the quartet played inside The Tanks, a claustrophobic, brutalist 400-capacity cave underneath the Blavatnik Building usually reserved for experiential exhibitions. There were no giant LED screens or mobile phones, which were locked away in pouches – unlike any U2 concert in recent memory, then. A half-century in, there’s still a trick or two up the band’s sleeve.
The show was recorded for the BBC and will be broadcast on television and its streaming service iPlayer later this month. The flurry of activity comes amidst a major return for the rock titans, as they release 16th studio album Carnaval de Luze (Nov. 13) and gear up for a globetrotting tour that’ll kick off in 2027 and roll into 2028. This show and the upcoming tour features all four members, with Larry Mullen Jr. rejoining Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton after missing the 2023-24 Sphere residency following neck surgery.
The night saw greatest hits, new songs, frequent tributes to longtime comrade Brian Eno and the odd soliloquy from Bono regarding the special setting and their connection to the arts. These were the five best moments.
