U2 Perform ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ for First Time in 36 Years at Vegas Sphere Residency

The Irish rockers played their rendition of Darlene Love's holiday classic during their Friday night U2:UV Achtung Baby show

Before U2 closed out their Las Vegas residency for the year, the band unwrapped a little holiday spirit.

During the rock legends' U2:UV Achtung Baby show at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday, they surprised fans by playing their rendition of Darlene Love’s holiday classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Fans captured footage of the Irish group ringing in the yuletide — which marked their first time performing the song live in 36 years.

The Grammy winners began the performance with just the Edge strumming on an acoustic guitar, but as soon as Bono sang the iconic opening lines — “Christmas / The snow’s coming down / Christmas / I’m watching it fall” — the crowd erupted in cheers.

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The “Beautiful Day” group slowed down the cover of Love’s 1963 seasonal favorite, but kept it close to the version they recorded in 1987, with the frontman’s vocals seemingly emphasizing the lyrics’ somber quality. With the venue’s screens turned off and the stage lit in just a red hue, the rockers made the moment into a sweet holiday serenade — especially as the bells and percussion joined in and Bono, 63, repeatedly wailed, “Baby, please come home.”

The band featuring Bono, the Edge, 62, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg first released their cover of the Blossoms singer's classic for the 1987 charity compilation album A Very Special Christmas. They later included the song on their 2004 record Unreleased & Rare, which was released as a part of The Complete U2 box set.

In 1987, they also released a music video for the track featuring footage of the “With or Without You” band performing the song during the soundcheck for a November ‘87 show at the Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the black and white clip, the singer/songwriter rocks out to the Christmas tune while frequently interacting with his bandmates and cheekily looking into the camera.

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The last time "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" was featured on U2's setlist was on the closing date of the Joshua Tree Tour at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Dec. 20, 1987 — shortly after it was released on the A Very Special Christmas compilation.

This time around, the hitmakers gifted fans with the cover as they were nearly closing out the 2023 dates of their acclaimed Las Vegas residency at the new, technologically advanced Sphere venue. The show began back in late September — kicking off live shows at the new event space off the Vegas Strip — and ended its run of shows for the year on Saturday.

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While the U2:UV Achtung Baby residency was originally only scheduled for 2023, the rock icons announced in October that they were extending it into 2024 with 11 new dates. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are set to return on Jan. 26 with concerts throughout late January and February before officially wrapping up on Feb. 18.

Related: Phish Announce 2024 Residency at Las Vegas Sphere: 'Thrilled to Present This Completely Unique Experience'

Not long before U2 spread a little holiday cheer by performing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” live again, Love herself revealed that their rendition is actually her favorite version of the track.

On The View's Behind the Table podcast, the singer, 82, opened up about why she loves the Irish rockers’ take in particular. "I have a connection with U2 and the song because U2 wanted me to do all the background parts, not me and some people," the star explained. "I did all the background parts. We went in and we did the song."

"It has a special meaning to me because it's totally different from what everybody else did," Love added of the song, which has also been covered by Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and others. "It was U2's 'Baby (Christmas Please Come Home).' That's what made it so great."

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