U2’s acclaimed The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 came to a triumphant close in Brazil on Wednesday (October 25) night.
As the only band ever to have played four successive shows at São Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium, U2 have smashed their own record for ticket sales in the city with over 280,000 Brazilian fans turning out to see the Dublin band in less than a week.
Having played to over 2.7 million fans in just 51 shows across North and South America, the UK and Europe, and Mexico, The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 is the most successful tour of the year.
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, a celebration of the original album and tour of the same name undertaken by U2 in 1987, featured the complete Joshua Tree album played in sequence plus a selection of highlights from U2’s extensive catalogue of songs. The innovative staging included a new series of haunting and evocative films from Dutch photographer and film-maker Anton Corbijn – whose iconic photography accompanied the original recording – in brilliant 8k resolution on a 200 x 45 foot cinematic screen, the largest high-res LED screen every used in a touring show, behind the group in live performance.
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, produced by Live Nation Global Touring, opened to rave reviews on May 12th at BC Place in Vancouver and made its U.S. debut May 14th at CenturyLink Field in Seattle—the latter kicking off some of the most enthusiastic critical notes in the history of U2’s relationship with America. Rolling Stone hailed the band as “a live act simply without peer” and USA Today noted “Thirty years can’t dull searing music, hopeful lyrics or the captivating Irish band behind them.”
The North American run featured 20 sold out stadium dates and U2’s first ever U.S. festival headline June 9th at Bonnaroo before “…the biggest band in the world” arrived in Europe to play Twickenham Stadium, Londonon 8th July, a performance which “oozes contemporary confidence and command. They are totally in their element.” (5/5 stars – The Guardian).
The sold out European run saw the Dublin band return home to play to 78,000 fans in Croke Park, almost 30 years to the day after the played the legendary Dublin venue on the original Joshua Tree tour. In September, the band hit the road again taking in dates in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and São Paulo, as well as a historic first ever visit by U2 to Bogotá, Colombia for an unforgettable show at the city’s Estadio El Campin.
The final U2 The Joshua Tree tour setlist, Brazil, October 25, 2017>
Sunday Bloody Sunday (from War, 1983)
New Year’s Day (from War, 1983)
Bad (from The Unforgettable Fire, 1984)
Pride (In the Name of Love) (from The Unforgettable Fire, 1984)
The Joshua Tree,1987
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
With or Without You
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God’s Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit
Mothers of the Disappeared (with Daniel Lanois)
Encore:
Beautiful Day (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, 2000)
Elevation (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, 2000)
Vertigo (from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, 2004)
Encore 2:
You’re the Best Thing About Me
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
One (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
I Will Follow (from Boy, 1980)
