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Happy Birthday, Bono! Thank you for being such an admirable person! Thank you for making so great a difference in our world! Thank you for taking action to fight against injustice. Thank you for writing songs that inspire our lives. You always say that we give you a great life; but U2 gives us one too! Greetings from Brazil! Here's a picture taken in March of 2008 (12 years ago) in Dublin:

Happy Birthday to my favorite singer! I hope your special day is extra-special despite our unusual times. It’s easy to remember your birthday because it is the same as my Dad’s (and the one for one my brothers is the same as The Edge’s - I guess I was destined to be a U2 fan). This Sunday is extra special too because it coincides with Mother’s Day here in the US - and, as it turns out, my mother was a big fan of yours too. By a strange turn of fate, we even saw a show together on the Vertigo tour; details here: https://zootopia.u2.com/forums/topic/39207-u2-and-mothers-day/ So, thank you for every song and live performance you helped bring into this world. You made millions happy. Thank you and the rest of the band as well for transforming the “absurdity of celebrity” into something positive. Whether is was Drop The Debt for Jubilee 2000, kickstarting ONE and (RED), or speaking truth to power to world leaders in general for your whole career, we are all proud of you. Your legacy will continue onward in this world long after you move on to the next. However, it wouldn’t be a proper Bono thread without a proper action shot! This photo is from your most recent performance at MSG (July 1, 2018) - from the details in the picture, which song it was taken during will be apparent too. It’s been posted here a couple of times and is also the permanent background of my iPhone. Happy Birthday, Bono! Come back on tour to see us whenever the world allows that to happen again - we’re ready. 😎

Happy birthday dear Bono, Wishing you all the best for your 60th birthday. Maybe you had other plans than being in lockdown for it.. But eh, you're home, with the people who love you the most, and I'm almost certain you've got a few good bottles to celebrate so I'm not worried you'll have an excellent one! We'll sure make some noise for you, in our different sides of the world (even if we don't need more excuses for our day drinking) - all apart and yet coming together to celebrate our favourite (very tall) showman. And I promise, that's gonna be one hell of a joyful noise. Thanks for the light you (and of course those 3 other men) bring to us, our harbour in the tempest, the voice guiding us in the darkness and always and forever reminding us that there is a light... Turning it up as bright as the sun with your music. Thanks for the magic. Thanks for the healing. Thanks for letting me believe that it's okay to be broken because those cracks can be filled with love if you let them. I'll stop rambling now. I hope this new decade will finally bring you the answer... Can you change the world? Can you change the world in you? One thing is for certain, you changed the world in all of us. Wishing you for this 60th birthday, love and peace or else.. But mostly love, I think that's the spark for everything else. Take care B man. Hopefully, we'll be with you again soon. Happy birthday ❤️ PS : Yes I know, I've stolen quite a lot of your words. But what can I say? You're not too shabby at writing those.

As I said th other day, there's a few thoughts I'd like to share beforehand about that particular show. It's something I wrote a while back when the DVD came out. That live in Paris is for sure the most special one for me. Because I was there. Because I was supposed to be there. To that show that was postponed. It's a long read and i'm very sorry in advance, but I hope it can help you see that DVD as I see it... and understand how so very special it is. It wasn't an easy one to write, still not an easy one to share.. but there you go. ---------- The day has finally come! Worldwide celebration for the U2 fans and loads of happy dances spreading all across the globe, as the DVD U2 Live In Paris is released. We’ve been waiting for it for quite some time now, and even though we got a fix with the HBO edition, I think we’re more than happy to finally get the final cut into our houses. We will be able to relive those moments til the freakin disc breaks and enjoy all the sweet memories attached to the #U2ieTour. Well, as far as I’m concerned bitter sweet memories let’s say. To be completely honest with you - even if it was probably one of the best show I ever went to - I wish it had never happened. I wish things had gone as planned. I wish that DVD would say “Live in Paris 15th of November”. Reality catches up unfortunately, and I am still really glad to get that DVD today, because it’s not just any DVD. For starters, it’s a U2 DVD so of course I’m thrilled! – but it’s way more than that… I have been willing to write an article about what happened in Paris for a while now. And yet, the words wouldn’t come out. Writing about those 2 last shows in Paris also meant writing about what led to them. I guess I was not ready, and I doubt I will ever be – but has Bono put it “There’s a time to cry. There’s a time to pray. There’s a time to shout” and the time has come to write and open up about it. I don’t mean to get depressing and it might get a bit intense – but as a good friend pointed out to me, it was intense. I always let my emotions as a fan take over my writing, and it’s important to me to recall how important that show was – for all of us. I won’t mind if you don’t read it. I just need to write about it – As a U2 fan, as a music lover and as a French person. I hope a little insight will allow you to see through my eyes why those shows in Paris really meant so much for many of us. November 13th, early afternoon. What a beautiful day that was. We were strolling around Parisian landmarks with my friend Dawn, who had come all the way from California to attend the U2 gigs in Paris. Some sense of bliss had taken over our minds. We had been waiting for that moment for so long. We were together in Paris, the sun was shining and we had great numbers in the GA line. We kept talking about how blessed we were at that very moment, and how amazing life could be – all because of U2. Obviously, we had no idea that the whole dream was soon to turn into the worst of nightmares… And the night came. Probably one of the worst nights of my life when I think about it. Our fellow friends of U2 Achtung had thrown a U2 fan party and we were all there having fun and getting ready for the wondrous night to come with the guys the next day. I went out for a smoke and received that first message from a friend in the US, just a few words “Be careful, there’s some bombing in Paris” – what the hell? Dammit Paris, you s*** tonight. I had just lit up my cigarette when one of the barmen grabbed my arm yelling like a mad man “Everybody inside! There’s some shooting a few streets away”. My only reaction was “Oh god’s sake, I just lighted this up! Lemme have my smoke eh?” – yeap. That’s the thing, you can’t realize what’s happening because it’s so unreal. You were partying a few seconds ago, and your brain can’t process anything. But soon, you start hearing the sirens blaring, people running and you get kicked out on the streets. Then it strikes you. You have to get the f*** out of this place as fast as you can. Run for your life, literally. You still have no idea what’s actually going on but the increasing messages from your friend and family let you know that it’s not good at all. You try to go on the opposite direction of the police cars and rescue teams… but soon enough, there’s no opposite direction anymore. You’re just stranded in the middle of the mess. No metro, no taxis, no nothing… All you have to do is walk, really fast. Walk away anywhere else but here. At this point, we had no idea what was going on. We only had heard about the first shootings and thought it was an isolated event – we realized the next day that we were actually walking right into the heart of the attacks. And we walked. On and on. Reading the same messages over and over again, ”I hope you’re ok. Get to safety.” It took us 4 hours to get back to safety. But we were far from ok – we had just found out about the Bataclan. And then, the longest hours started. Waiting for news from our U2 friends, other friends, family… basically everyone I knew that was in Paris – until I passed out from exhaustion. And the dream faded away… I woke up the next morning sobbing like a baby. I’m not even sure I stopped crying while I was sleeping. So many mixed feelings from glad to be alive, to the sadness of it all. I felt like an empty shell, staring at the wall, trying to process what had happened and was still happening. We had to check out of our hotel and ended up on the streets again. Empty dead streets. I often go to Paris since part of my family lives there and I had never seen the city so empty. As if time had stopped. Fear had taken over and paralyzed every single thing around. We stopped 3 times for a coffee, and we were sent away 3 times because of bomb scares. We met a few U2 friends around the arena, same look on our faces, hardly able to talk. No words. Just waiting for a confirmation that the shows were cancelled so we could get away from the center of Paris as quickly as possible. I just wanted to go home, I just wanted to hug my baby girl and tell her I loved her. F*** all this. It felt like I’d never smile again. Nothing good could ever happen after that. That’s what those terrorists did. They didn’t just take lives that night. They took families and unfinished stories. They took our hopes, our joy, our dreams away. They took everything that was good in the world. And the “what if” started. What if we had taken the wrong turn on that street? What if we had gone to that restaurant a day later than we did? What if it had happened at the U2 show? What if, what if… The darkness taking over. No strength to fight back. Too hurt to get back on my feet. And yet, something was to happen that night. Something that helped me beyond words. As always U2 rescued me and gave me that beacon of light I desperately needed. When I saw our four guys showing up at the Bataclan, standing there unafraid, a spark lighted up in me. I had to stand up too. I had to fight back. I’m French for god sake. We don’t go down that easily. The fact that the guys showed up there made me realize how lucky I was to be alive and that there was no way I would live in fear. They gave me a hand and raised me back on my feet. Once more, this band turned on the light when all I could see was darkness. A light holding a promise – they would be back. And soon enough, the announcement came. They were coming back to Paris and those stolen moments were to be given back to the fans. It all happened really fast, maybe too fast in my opinion back then. We had just barely got out of that nightmare and the guys were calling us back to it. A choice had to be made, but it never occurred to me not to go back to Paris. People called me insane, stupid and probably delusional for not realizing what had happened. But I actually did, and very well thank you. To be honest, I didn’t want to go back; I truly didn’t want to be back in Paris – but I knew I needed to. I knew that attending those shows no matter how afraid I was, would be the only way to achieve some sort of closure. That it was the only way to get out of the funk, be “stronger than fear” and let go of the nightmare. And I was right. I won’t say it was easy, I won’t say I wasn’t looking over my shoulder every time I heard something weird and I won’t say that the mood in the GA line was the same as usual. We knew we were up for some very special shows, and partly because we were all in some sort of special place ourselves. We weren’t sure we were safe or everything would go well. And for every U2 fan back in that arena that night, it was truly a leap of faith. And the miracle occurred. I have no words to describe the emotions I felt during those two shows in December, and how much they meant to me. I remember looking up at the arena during Every Breaking wave and seeing all those lights around. Instant crying. I remember the beauty of those piano keys and the purity of Bono’s voice – and I remember us all. We were all there, unafraid, singing at unison and that sense of unity was the most powerful thing I had ever felt during a gig. The show went on, and Bono gave us his speech about choosing love over fear while Streets was chiming in. Right back to ugly crying because that was it. That very moment was what I had come for. This explosion of joy, that roar from the crowd and the power unleashed by Edge’s guitar was a true electric shock sending me right back to life. There we were standing up for everything that is good in human beings. Love, hope, art, creativity, music, friendship… Dreaming louder than all the evils we had gone through a few weeks earlier. That was our freakin victory. That was our freakin answer. A celebration of love and life. The sadness was still present but the fear was gone. Completely gone. And when the band started playing COBL and the emotions took over with the names of all of those who had lost their lives that night – I truly understood that Paris was the city of lights that night. And we were those lights. It was our duty to be stronger than all this and use our voices to drown out the haters. We had to celebrate life in honor of all those people gone too soon. We had to live every second at its fullest to do them justice. And that’s probably one of the main reasons why those shows felt so intense for everyone I guess. It wasn’t just about music, it was about taking a stand against hate. It was about being the best of what humanity can be. Choosing love over fear. Letting hope and dreams guide us toward the light. Never surrender, and keep fighting for what is good in this world. If you want to make the world a better place to live in, then do it. Make a choice. Take a stand. We’re the only ones that can remind ourselves that life can be good and that positive attitude can take over any evil. So that U2 DVD will certainly not be only a DVD to me. Unforgettable memories that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. A reminder of how proud and honored I am to have been there, more than music and memories – it’s a proof I overcame my fears. All thanks to U2 (and a little bit me I guess). We all lost something on the night of the attacks. Someone, something, ourselves… and yet, I had never been more glad to be a U2 fan than then. Because no matter what I lost that night, some of it has been returned to me during those two shows. They gave me the strength to fight back and they helped me dare dream again. And more than anything else, they reminded me that as long as you chose light, you chose love – and that hope held within can help you win every battle you go through, and defeat all evils. Choose love over fear. Always. It’s now definitely the right moment to let go of all this, because after months of waiting – it’s show time. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the U2 fans around the world that supported us while we were in Paris. I received hundreds of messages that night and the days afterwards and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for those. All your kind words helped way more than you think. All of you were part of the beacon of light that helped me get out of the storm unharmed.

Well ... That's been fun eh ? Pretty emotional right now so i'll try to be quick. Thank you. All of you. So so much for turning this idea into a reality, and a brilliant one Those watch along really meant the world to me during those hard times and they have proven once more that we get to carry each other. Some people told me that i'm a U2 fan and a U2 fans fan. And it's true, i love this band just as much as I love this community and this whole thing is the perfect example of why I do. Stay safe, stay strong. Don't let the silence settle though. Keep being those vibrant joyful souls that i'm honored to have met during those nights. You all rock. Thank you.

Bono turns 60 on this Sunday, the 10th of May. We want to celebrate what he means to us here in the Zoo. Please help us in wishing him the very best of birthdays in this thread with your own birthday messages, your favourite Bono moments, and favourite lyrics. Be sure to add your favourite personal photos to our Bono Photo Gallery here: https://zootopia.u2.com/gallery/album/674-bono-60/

A facebook initiative had people posting their photos toasting Bono on his big day. This is a collection of all of us around the world celebrating (few cakes, cards and memories included) 🍻 Cheers Bono!

As I'm only 23 and again as I've said, probably the youngest person here, I haven't been able to have the experiences other people here have had and sometimes it makes me sad, but I'm happy to be here now and not later. So happy birthday to my favorite singer and here's to many more years! And here's one of my favorite pictures and a nice throwback... I've been trying to draw for it for a few days.

Staring at the ceiling for 2 hours 17min is not as much fun as watching U2 shows with cool people from around the world... But I suppose nothing good is forever and precious things have a limited lifespan... In any case, I suppose that in the year 2053 I can tell my grand-nephews that while the 2020 quarantine sucked majorly, among the very good things that I was lucky enough to experience and make it more bearable was the #U2getherathome event... And I sincerely hope everyone around here (and beyond) will have the chance to remember this for many, many years...

An amazing end to a fantastic idea from @Madfl3a These are difficult times for us all and the U2 DVD viewing has been a highlight of each week (even if I have to get up at early o’clock- its totally been worth it) Thanks to everyone (everyone !) for their camaraderie, jokes & memories over the past weeks. It’s been awesome- U2 fans are the best. Lets hope its not too long before we are all hanging out in a GA queue waiting to see U2. I hope you & you’re families stay safe and well.

We owe @Madfl3a big, big time for all these weekends. There are no words, but "thank you" is a good start... so: thank you. What she gave us was a glimmer of, well... hope. And that should not be forgotten. Ever. Something else that should not be forgotten is all the comments, photos, memories brought by everyone in the fan community. It was fantastic - let's never lose what we brought around here all these days. It's fantastic. It's our strenght... Thanks to everyone... stay safe, girls and boys...

This is unfortunately the best picture I've been able to get of you. Happy birthday and thank you for your music, it has gotten me through a lot!

Hello Edge!

Woah, that is an amazing and beautiful story! Streets is such a powerful song... I think if you can go through the opening of that without tearing up the least bit, then you have no soul haha. Every now and then I like to watch the 2002 Super Bowl performance and when they go into Streets, no matter how hard I try I can't keep myself from tearing up. It was such an amazing show to help us Americans heal from our tragedy at the time and I'm glad you guys got your moment too. I think Bono once said "We play Streets when we need God to walk through the room." I'm glad you were okay and got to have that moment.

What are you guys talking about ?? I watched the Milan DVD from Vertigo Tour and it was awesome !! 😂

I hope there will be other thread ideas as well - I'm sure there will be. Thank you for representing the next generation of fans! I'm glad you are not alone here too.

How long to sing this song? easy to answer: as long as we need it...

Just to say that @Madfl3a had an amazing idea and ran with it. If Live at Red Rocks is where she chooses to end, then she deserves a round of applause and a well-deserved break. Having said that, I don’t think there is anything saying she can’t pass the torch and let someone lead through the other suggestions.

"You've given us a great life." And you've given us a great life, too!

Who's crying ? *raise hand*

Happy Birthday Bono! While your 60th has you reflecting, it has me reflecting too. Gloria grabbed me when I was 12 in 1983. I honestly don’t know where my life would be without the band and your lyrics. Your songs have gotten me through the amazing, good, bad, and really ugly parts of my life. There has always been one there to celebrate with or comfort me. Your lyrics helped turn me to God and become a Christian. Not only have the songs helped form me as a person, but they have given me the majority of my friends and many of the places I have been. Thank you for giving ME such a wonderful life. I hope you have a beautiful day and can’t wait to see what songs come out of this crazy time we are in now. Take care of yourself. mich xx

Memories of 360tour Helsinki 2nd night, who is the lucky lady?

We are celebrating allllll month long with special Bono-themed content in our U2 podcast. We are a week into 5 weeks of partying! Come join us! www.thegardentarts.com (or your favorite podcast player) EPISODE 1:

Happy 60TH Birthday to you Bono The Fly! 😎 And I see you have you're camera Fly. 😎📹 Yep! 😎📹 It's video on The Fly time. 😎📹 Viral said The Fly. 😎📹 We know you l💓ve the camera Fly. 😎📹💓 My l💓ve to The Fly from South Australia!😎💋 🇦🇺

Upload your birthday cards here to Bono xx Happy Birthday Bono xxx❤️

😜 Good night y'all! Thank you!

Thank you all. I think I needed the U2Fam to watch that one again. A lot of emotions. For so many reasons... Only thing thats left to say is that U2 is the best band in the world.You can't make that up.

It was amazing. And I think you get to see that we did our best to bring those guys a little comfort. We're humans. It was a privilege to do that. No regrets whatsoever. Beautiful gesture. Plus... you can't top people have the power !

but it was a great gesture from the band... to lend their stage...

Thank you @Madfl3a, for everything you've done these past several weeks! And thank you everybody for being here...I'll miss these streams, hoping this continues in some way or another!

(((group hug))) Thanks to everyone that joined us each week. @Madfl3a, thank you for dreaming out loud and keeping this going. Stay safe everyone. This is not good-bye......

GLORIA... live... happy happy joy joy...

And yet it is.. Time flies when you're having fun We're not all out yet but we have ran out of dvds.. Wish it could have been the other way around, but eh, it's been a fun ride!

I realize it wasn't part of the original vote and I guess it is not officially a concert DVD but can we talk about doing a #U2getherAtHome watch along for the Rattle and Hum movie?

There is so much you have already heard, so let me tell you something else. I can still picture you with your long hair, which means I have been a fan for a long time. It started when your hair was still growing, actually. So you see, it’s been a long time. I get the impression that it was yesterday, when I was intimidated by you. It’s funny to remember, because I don’t feel that way anymore. I am listening to your voice. You are singing while I am trying to find the right words. I can still picture you with your long hair; the posters in my teenage bedroom. I have walked on your beach, I have walked in your street. I have walked a little further, then turned around, and finally, I never came back. I have lived in the Dublin you probably haven’t been for an eternity. I have lived in your Dublin which was no longer for me. We have never met. Long hair in the wind, blowing in the face, it’s annoying. It’s beautiful too. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I have moved from those years. You cannot be 60, it’s impossible. I can still picture you with your long hair, as it if was yesterday. But actually, I have moved on, of course. The streets of Dublin I have lived are the ones fans do not go. However, me too, I am a fan. I got lost to your songs and to the sound of your voice. Then the song ended. I went home, when I had one. You started with nothing. Bad mouths would say that you wouldn’t last. Contracts were not offered and doors got slammed to your face. You too, you slept here and there. You too. My bus would go all the way to your old street, the one with the seven towers. You went on to be taller than them. You became as beautiful as those walls that carried your name. Your name, an identical pronunciation in every language. What an idea to be called after a shop for deaf people. It’s not even a name I would have thought of giving to a guy with long hair. Still, that shop, I have walked by it, you have walked by it. We have never met. So you are 60. It doesn’t seem like it. Well actually, it does. Your voice has changed, but in a good way. You sing better. And I am telling you this as a fan I had forgotten. Your voice is like a good wine. We lift our heads like we raise our glass. It’s your words we sing, reminding ourselves to never let go. Words, words for you, words for us, words for them. There are lyrics for the songs that were never recorded, there are lyrics that got lost, then found. There are songs in which you have said it all, and there are songs in which you haven’t said enough. Moreover, there are the songs for the ones who no longer have a voice or a choice. This is something you have understood a long time ago. You sing the right words, the sweet words, but you sing the truth. The truth is also that all your fans follow you since you have had your long hair, if not, way, way before. They know the truth from your words. They know your street and your beach where they walk a little further to turn around, in case they can hear your voice. I look at you with my arms crossed, full of admiration. I am the fan of the shadows, the fan of the back row. I call you my brother. And still, we have never met. I remember the posters with the long hair when I would have been so intimidated by you and yet I would tell myself that if I could take the first train, I would go find you, and ask you to take me on tour with you. Many stories have been lived, yet remain untold from that time. Some are in your songs, some are to laugh to death; some are swollen tears. Some fans say you have saved their lives. They are correct, it’s true. Do you realize for one second the impact you have on people whom you don’t know that claim you have saved their lives? Maybe it’s a lot to take, maybe it’s a lot of hair to lose. I don’t like to say that you have saved my life, I am not worthy of saying that. Because I am a fan whom I had forgotten, in the city where I almost lost it, my life. But you have saved my life, you have. You have helped me, you have told me that I was not invisible and to not let the light go out. But the light got stronger to the words I am writing, today. I had forgotten to be a fan, then finally, I turned around to hear your voice, telling me that I had to keep on going, that hair grows longer every year, whatever happens. One day, we will meet, on a pathway to a beach, a street, not necessarily yours, but probably after turning around, you’ll see. Because I am a pilgrim on my way. The sun always shines on May 10th, and on this day we raise our glass, we sing your words, as we remind ourselves to never let go. Happy birthday, brother.

yes... the song that plays before U2 goes to the stage...

i absolutely love how he trots down the catwalk everytime like "Quick dont look at me hurry up legs"

Happy Birthday Bono ! Certainly the coolest guy I'll ever get to meet. Thanks for everything; I hope you and your family stay safe & well. Surely I. can't be the only one who got a little nervous during this part of the shows ? Thank Bono The Joshua Tree Tour came down under last year.

A special birthday for the greatest frontman @ 60. Has everything a great frontman should have: Vocals, Lyrics, charisma, stage presence, showman, energy, soul, heart, emotion, creativity, a cracking falsetto, always in sync with the band and that little bit of uncoolness which makes him cool 🙂

B. you're almost 60... get ready for the in-house party

Sunday will be your day dear Bono 🎂😍 Here are 2 photos I have made in Paris on 09.09.2018 💖 Happy Bithday 🎂

Well... If you read up that thread from the beginning I think you might get the why rather than the how... We've been using those shows as a way to come together, share a moment of joy and let those 4 guys lift us up from the current situation. It's been a real highlight for me in my reality, and I know I'm not the only one. It's not really about the show... More about us as a community, being united through those hard times and finding some solace in that music and the memories attached to it. We have fun. We get to carry each other. It might be a couple of hours a week, but it does make a difference. At least for some of us. Sometimes there is a light... And sometimes we can just switch it on on our own

Bad was extra special on that room... If i could, I would let it go... I think Bono gently pushed us to do just that that night. I think he succeeded...doesn't mean there weren't loads of tears. Doesn't mean there aren't now;

Funnily enough, it's beautiful day that is bringing tears to my eyes right now.... Tears of gratitude. I'll never thank them enough. They brought me so much.

that party on stage lasted waaaaaaay longer than what you can see on the dvd. So much hugging !!! Bono was like ok k go now please?

Free yourself to be yourself, if only you could see yourself Free yourself to be yourself, if only you could see... just one of the many mantras U2 has gifted to us...

I'll prob post a few actual pics from the show we're watching tonight... Inception night 😅

My most memorable ie nights where Northside, so I’m going that way.