U2 was the first band able to host a concert in the city since the end of the war, and the band was very pleased to be present there at the time. As per the Sarajevans’ request, the show was not a benefit concert, and the band performed just as they did in any other city on the tour. The actual winner of the Miss Sarajevo pageant, Inela Nogic, was present at that show, and was escorted to the concert with the band themselves. Bono lost his voice during the concert, and unfortunately messed up during the performance of “Miss Sarajevo,” and said afterwards, “Sarajevo, this song was written for you. I hope you like it, because we can’t fucking play it.” In reference to the performance, Larry Mullen Jr. said, “That was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. And if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, and have done that, I think it would have been worthwhile. “For two magical hours, the rock band U2 achieved what warriors, politicians and diplomats could not: They united Bosnia.” Trains ran for the first time since the war to enable people to see the concert, though they were stopped again afterward. Bono later called the Sarajevo show “one of the toughest and one of the sweetest nights of my life.” This concert was in a way a turning point for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, making them feel alive again and part of Europe after almost 4 years of isolation due to the war.

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