U2’s Bono and The Edge made a very special appearance on Canada Day in front of thousands of soggy revellers on Parliament Hill.
Bono said he and his bandmate have a side job “playing weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs” but this was their first 150th birthday party.
In front of VIPs including prime minister Justin Trudeau, governor general David Johnston and Prince Charles, the Irish singer praised Canada.
“Whether you have just arrived from Syria or your roots go back thousands of years, this is your home, and we are grateful guests in it,” he said. “When others build walls, you open doors. When others divide, your arms are open wide. Where you lead, others follow, and that’s the real reason we’re here today.
“Thank you for the country you are continuing to build.”
The musicians then played U2’s 1991 hit “One” with a little bit of the Beatles’ 1966 song “Rain” added onto the end.
Bono also told the crowd that “the Irish have been welcomed here for hundreds of years, from the famine where many of us were refugees, to now where we arrive by choice.”
The show's co-host, Quebec singer Mitsou, shared video of Bono and The Edge from her vantage point off-stage.
Bono and The Edge flew to Ottawa aboard a private jet and were whisked to Parliament Hill in a motorcade of SUVs. Immediately after the show, they flew to Cleveland for a concert later that night. It has not been discosed how much the duo were paid.
Other musical guests at the early Canada Day show were Patrick Watson and Walk Off The Earth.
Superstar Shania Twain made a surprise appearance on stage to help introduce Canada’s two new astronauts.