U2 returned to Paris on Sunday night to play their first of two shows which were postponed following the November 13 terrorist attacks within the city. The attacks, which took the lives of over 130 people, including 89 within the Bataclan, where rockers Eagles of Death Metal had performed at, was one of the most recent events which shook the world.
The Irish band, who recently spoke about their defiant return to the city, staged the first large-scale cultural event in Paris since the attacks, and featured heavy security at the AccorHotels Arena, located just a few miles away from the Bataclan.
There were reports that the band would be joined onstage by Eagles of Death Metal in Paris, however earlier on Sunday, U2 stated differently on their website: “This is not the case. We have another surprise guest planned for tonight’s show.” That guest star turned out to be Patti Smith, who closed the 27-song setlist with her 1988 hit 'People Have The Power', which has been used as the band's entrance music throughout the tour.
Watch their performance below
Dedicating several songs to France and Paris throughout the show, and speaking to the 17,000 sold-out crowd in French, Bono said: “Tonight we are all Parisian,” then adding in English, “If you love liberty, then Paris is your hometown.”
Towards the end of the set, the frontman turned to receive a French tricolore flag from the crowd and proceeded to throw it over his shoulder and later placed it in front of the band's drums.
U2 were set to play the Arena on 14 November and 15 November on their Innocence and Experience tour, but decided to call off the shows, citing the state of emergency that was placed across France. The tour will end tonight in Paris.
Within an interview held before the shows, Bono said: “We felt the biggest and the only real contribution we can make at a moment like that is to honor the people of Paris, who brought us the concept of liberté, egalité, fraternité.”
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