U2's Bono and The Edge perform in Ukrainian metro turned bomb shelter

9 May 2022, 15:26 | Updated: 1 October 2024, 15:09

Bono and The Edge from U2 play Ukrainian bomb shelter. Picture: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The legendary Irish rockers were invited to visit the war-torn country by President Zelensky and performed at Khreshchatyk station to show their support for its citizens.

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Bono and The Edge performed a 40-minute set at a metro station being used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The legendary U2 musicians were invited by President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit the country amid Russia's ongoing invasion and crowds gathered as they played Khreshchatyk station to show their support.

U2's Bono and The Edge sing with Ukranian singer-songwriter Taras Topolia. Picture: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Their moving setlist included their 1987 hit With or Without You as well as a heartfelt rendition of Ben E King's Stand By Me with Ukrainian singer Taras Topolia, who became a soldier defending to defend his country.

Watch their rendition of Stand By Me here:

#Ukraine is and will be the place where all cool people come.@U2 Bono and the Edge gave a concert in Kyiv subway to support Ukrainians. Thank you! We feel that you stand with us. #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/bsyuSRkA1I
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 9, 2022

Taking to Twitter after the event, the One band doubled down on their support of Ukraine, writing: "President @ZelenskyyUa invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. -- Bono and The Edge #StandWithUkraine".

President @ZelenskyyUa invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. -- Bono and The Edge #StandWithUkraine
— U2 (@U2) May 8, 2022

Bono also gave an interview with Sky News, where he said: "I think that the people in Russia. .. younger people know what’s going on. I trust in the younger people in Russia to throw this man out of his office, that is so high and is so low, right now.”

U2 are the latest in a long line of musicians to support Ukraine. Ed Sheeran, Snow Patrol and Manic Street Preachers were among some of the acts who performed at Concert For Ukraine on Wednesday 29th March.

The two-hour fundraiser event - which also featured Camila Cabello, Anne Marie, Emeli Sandé, Gregory Porter and Becky Hill - was screened live by ITV and STV, with a special programme broadcast across the Heart and Capital networks.

Watch the Manic's stunning performance of If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next:

Manic Street Preachers Superb Performance of 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next' | ITV

Nile Rodgers & Chic closed the show with a medley of the disco hits Everybody Dance and We Are Family, the Sister Sledge classic.

Speaking ahead of the show, music legend Rodgers said: “It’s funny, tonight when I decided to play, I chose two songs that I wrote 45 years ago and those two songs are totally relevant today.

“I’m gonna do Everybody Dance, which I wanna to try and get the crowd hugging and loving each other and then I’m gonna do We Are Family, because that’s what I believe that we are all family in this world.”