U2 Plays 40th & Final Show Of Sphere Las Vegas Residency

U2 played the 40th and final show of their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency on Saturday night. The Irish band marked the occasion by bringing out frequent collaborator Daniel Lanois to sit in on a song he helped produce.

Lead singer Bono, guitarist The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton, with drummer Bram van den Berg filling in for Larry Mullen Jr., began Saturday’s concert like previous U2 concerts at the Sphere, starting the final show of the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency with a set of songs from the band’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby. Lanois, who co-produced Achtung Baby with Brian Eno, emerged during this segment of the show, adding another guitar to the album’s standout track, “One.”

Watch audience-captured video of the “One” collab:

Later in the evening, during the stripped-down portion of the concert performed on the Eno-designed turntable stage, U2 performed Crowded House’s classic “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” U2 debuted their cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” at an earlier Sphere performance. Bono dedicated Saturday’s version of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” to Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya. The performance featured a newly recorded vocal and instrumental track prepared by Crowded House’s Neil Finn.

View the virtual duet:

While Larry Mullen Jr. has been out of action at The Sphere while recovering from neck surgery and other health issues, the drummer was in attendance on Friday at the penultime show of the residency. Rumors persisted that Mullen would perform with the band. Bono addressed the rumors as he introduced Mullen who was sitting a box seat. “The rumors that Larry will be playing with us tonight are not true sadly. But he is here with us!” the frontman told the crowd.

Fittingly, the concert and U2’s 40-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere came to an end with “40” chosen as the final song. The track from U2’s 1983 album, War, had not been performed during the residency, having last appeared in a U2 setlist in 2016.

See U2 bust out “40” as the final song of their 40-show Vegas Sphere residency below:

Phish is primed to be the next band to play the Sphere. The band’s sold-out, four-show run at the Vegas venue spans April 18 – 21. Dead & Company will then hold court at the Las Vegas Sphere during a 24-show residency taking place over multiple three-night runs held on May 16 – 18, May 24 – May 26, May 30 – June 1, June 6 – 8, June 13 – 15, June 20 – 22, July 4 – 6 and July 11 – 13.