How U2 honoured Sinéad O'Connor during Las Vegas show

Virgin Radio

3 Oct 2023, 15:28

U2 paid an emotional tribute to Sinéad O’Connor during their second Vegas show.

After kicking off their Las Vegas Sphere based concert with a blast on 29th September, the rock stars honoured their fellow Irish star by quoting a snippet of her hit single ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ as they finished playing their song ‘With Or Without You’.

Taking to the $2 billion MSG Sphere at Vegas’ Venetian Resort, the band performed the tribute in front of another sold out crowd of over 18,000.

As well as providing crowds with an amazing live concert, Las Vegas’ newest attraction is also boosted by its 160,000 speakers and huge wrap-around LED screen which covers the inside of its dome.

Sinéad O’Connor died in July at the age of 56. The band joined hosts of celebrities in paying tribute to the ‘Thank You for Hearing Me’ singer after the news of her death broke.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) they quoted her song 'Heroine’ by writing: “Touch these eyes with a broken smile, Touch my mouth with your furrowed brow, Lift my heart, heal my shame, Lead me into rest again.. Heroine.. Rest In Peace Sinéad.”

Sinéad collaborated with Bono on a track for the 1993 film In the Name of the Father, and also worked with U2 on ‘I’m Not Your Baby’ which was featured on the soundtrack for the film The End of Violence.

Another celebrity who paid tribute to Sinéad in July was Virgin Radio’s own Graham Norton. 

While presenting his weekend programme The Graham Norton Show with Waitrose, Graham said: “It's weird how these things can affect us, you know, because we don't know these people and yet that one, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I adored her. I didn’t know her.”

He also added: “In Ireland, it’s been just enormous, the outpouring of love for Sinéad. Somebody on the radio was just saying that she was that combination of fearless and fragile, and I thought that was absolutely her.”