Watch U2 Celebrate 50 Years With Secret Concert in Dublin

U2 celebrated their 50th anniversary in a familiar place, by playing a concert in their hometown of Dublin, Ireland on Sept. 25.

But as always, the way they did it happened in a very U2 kind of fashion. The Irish rock legends went back to their old stomping grounds, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, to perform a six-song set for a thousand of the current students, peppered with songs from across their career.

You can see the complete set list and watch video of songs from the concert below.

What U2 Performed in Dublin Today

The impromptu performance included the live debut of “Silencio” from the band’s upcoming album, Carnaval De Luz, which was announced earlier this week. But it also found Bono sharing a bit of a history lesson with those in attendance. It was drummer Larry Mullen Jr., he reminded them during a performance of “Out of Control,” who had pinned the “notice on the noticeboard” at Mount Temple, looking for other students he could make music with.

In an interview prior to the gig, the singer told Virgin Media News that was just one small thing eventually changed everything.

“It’s 50 years to the day since Larry Mullen….he’s responsible, he put the note on the noticeboard in there,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine life, what would have been, without that.”

Introducing the rest of the band during the Mount Temple concert, he handed out some more local lore from that time period, calling bassist Adam Clayton, “the streaker of the green corridor” and guitarist David Evans, or was it Dave Evans? Neither of those sounded quite right, but the enthusiastic fans were happy to help Bono out and identify that man that they all know so well today as the Edge.

Besides the students, the audience for the day’s music also included a number of connections to U2’s past, including former manager Paul McGuinness and personality Dave Fanning, an early supporter, who gave the group crucial exposure playing their songs on the radio. 50 years later, he’s still in their corner and had the world premiere exclusive of their latest single this week.

For their performance of “One,” they were joined by a young group of string musicians, who had attended Music Generation, a program which U2 helps to fund.

It was all a pretty perfect way to mark the band’s 50th anniversary, in front of an admittedly captive audience. “Thanks for showing up,” Bono said. “I suppose you’d nowhere else to go.”

READ MORE: How the Final Dolly Parton Song Ended Up on U2’s New Album

U2, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 25, 2026

1. “I Will Follow”
2. “Vertigo”
3. “Beautiful Day”
4. “Out of Control”
5. “Silencio” (live debut)
6. “One”
7. “With or Without You”

Watch U2 Perform ‘Out of Control’ at Mount Temple Comprehensive School

Watch U2 Perform ‘I Will Follow’ at Mount Temple Comprehensive School