Irish rock band U2 marked the 50th anniversary of their formation with a series of surprise performances in Dublin on September 25, returning to locations significant to their early days. The group played an intimate set at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, where the band members first met and began rehearsing in 1976. The performance was attended by hundreds of students, faculty, and fans.

Later that evening, more than 1,000 people gathered in the city center, near Bewley’s Oriental Cafe, where U2 appeared on the cafe’s balcony to deliver a one-hour set. The band opened with their 1980 single "I Will Follow" and included other well-known tracks such as "Out Of Control" (1979) and the 1987 hit "With Or Without You." The set also featured the debut live performance of "Silencio," a new single from their forthcoming sixteenth studio album, *Carnaval De Luz*, scheduled for release on November 13.

The new album marks U2’s first new material since 2017’s *Songs Of Experience*. Among the tracks is "Torn," a collaboration with country music legend Dolly Parton, who passed away in August at the age of 80. The song, co-written by Parton alongside U2 and Irish singer Johnny McDaid, features what the band described as Parton’s “last recorded vocal performance.” Frontman Bono, 66, leads the track.

The anniversary holds special significance as it commemorates the origins of the band. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr., 64, reportedly initiated the formation by posting a handwritten note on the school’s noticeboard seeking band members. The group’s lineup also includes guitarist The Edge, 65, and bassist Adam Clayton, 66. Their first rehearsal took place on September 25, 1976, and after releasing their debut album in 1980, they rose to international fame throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

At the school performance, Bono greeted the audience by saying, “We’ve escaped from the lab. How’s the experiment going for you?” Reflecting the long-standing dedication of fans, Kathrin Schanz, a 50-year-old U2 enthusiast who traveled from Germany for the occasion, described the concert as “one of their most special concerts ever.” The band’s return to their roots underscored their enduring legacy in the rock music world five decades after their inception.