U2’s Bono has offered a poignant tribute to the 260 people killed in an attack on a music festival in Israel. The tribute occurred during the band’s residency at Las Vegas’s $2 billion Sphere venue.
Midway through the set, the Irish singer paused to address the crowd, expressing condolences for the lives lost in the Israel and Palestine conflict, with particular emphasis on the Paralello Universo festival in Re’im, Israel. The deadly attack, conducted by Hamas operatives, occurred early on Saturday, 7 October. Rockets struck the festival around 6:30am, followed shortly by gunfire, as reported by CNN.
As of 9 October, authorities have confirmed 260 fatalities at the festival, while many more remain missing. During the concert in Nevada, Bono dedicated the band’s 2003 hit ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ to the victims. “In the light of what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence,” he told the audience.
During U2 concert at Sphere, Bono asked the crowd to sing for the Israelis murdered by Hamas…awesome response! pic.twitter.com/BP9S79PKu6
— rtrelv (@rtrelv) October 9, 2023
“Sing for our brothers and sisters. Who they themselves were singing at the Supernova Sukkot festival in Israel,” Bono continued. “We sing for those. Our people, our kind of people. Music people. Playful, experimental people. Our kind of people. We sing for them.”
Last December, U2 were awarded the Kennedy Center lifetime achievement award – one of America’s most prestigious cultural awards. American President Joe Biden described the rock band as “a bridge between Ireland and America” at a White House reception ahead of the awards.
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