Bono And Imelda May Sing ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ During Dublin Busking Tradition

U2’s Bono teamed up with Imelda May for a special take on Darlene Love’s ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ during a Dublin busking performance on Christmas Eve.

The gathering on Grafton Street has now been running for 15 years and has become a seasonal fixture, with this year’s edition raising money for the Dublin Simon Community, which works to support people facing homelessness across Ireland.

Also joining the lineup were Oscar winning singer songwriter and event founder Glen Hansard, along with The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue. Bono and May came together on the night to deliver the 1963 holiday favourite as a duet.

A large crowd packed the area outside the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin city centre, where performances were also given by The Riptide Movement, Danny O’Reilly of The Coronas and Shobsy. The evening closed with a communal rendition of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s ‘Fairytale Of New York’, as May sent birthday wishes to Shane MacGowan ahead of the following day.

In past years, the busking event has featured Bono performing ‘Running To Stand Still’ from ‘The Joshua Tree’, appearances from Shane MacGowan with ‘Dirty Old Town’, and Hozier delivering his breakthrough hit ‘Take Me To Church’.

Earlier this year, U2 were honoured with the Woody Guthrie Prize, with the band praised as “a champion for the voiceless with an understanding of how a platform can be used to shine a light on our world, showing us what needs to be fixed and how to fix it.” At the ceremony, Bono and The Edge performed ‘One’, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and Guthrie’s ‘Jesus Christ’.

Bono also reflected on what he sees as the path to freedom in an op ed for The Atlantic earlier this year, written ahead of him receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the United States.

He has also said he feels “ready for the future” with U2, adding that the band currently have “25 great songs for a new album”.

May, meanwhile, is set to appear as one of the guests on Jools Holland’s ‘Hootenanny’ this year, alongside Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, Olivia Dean, Lulu, Jessie J, Craig David, Heather Small, The Kooks, Joe Webb, David Hermlin and Ruby Turner.