Bono Sounds the Alarm: “The World Has Never Been Closer to a World War”

U2 frontman Bono is making headlines again—but this time, it’s not for music. While promoting his new Apple TV+ documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the iconic singer took a sharp turn into global politics, warning that the world is edging dangerously close to all-out war.

From Cannes to Crisis

Though Bono has a villa near the French Riviera and fond memories of sun-soaked beaches, his Cannes trip was far from a vacation. He arrived to present Stories of Surrender, a reflective one-man show-turned-documentary, but quickly shifted focus from art to activism.

In a candid interview, Bono expressed deep concern about rising nationalism and the dismantling of global aid efforts, including the rollback of U.S. support for HIV/AIDS programs. He didn’t hold back when pointing to Donald Trump’s policies and institutional defunding that, he says, have undone decades of humanitarian progress.

“We’re closer to a world war now than at any time in my life,” he warned.

A Personal Lens on Peace

Stories of Surrender, based on Bono’s 2022 memoir, strips away the rock star armor to reveal a man wrestling with personal and political legacies. The film, directed by Andrew Dominik, follows Bono as he reflects on his late father, the ego behind U2’s rise, and the complexity of fighting for peace in turbulent times.

The deeply personal project captures his transformation—from punk rocker to global humanitarian—and explores how vulnerability can be a political act.

“You better get ready to take your armor off,” he said. “You’re going to feel naked in front of the whole school.”

Speaking Up at the Ivors

Just days before Cannes, Bono made waves at the Ivor Novello Awards in London. While accepting U2’s Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, he addressed both Hamas and Israeli leadership.

“Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.”

His remarks came during a stripped-down performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday, a song rooted in Irish conflict but tragically relevant today.

Bono also mourned the deaths of aid workers, describing them as “the best of us”, and offered a plea for mercy amid modern warfare.

Hope, Despite It All

Despite the bleak outlook, Bono still clings to hope—not as a luxury, but as a moral duty.

He quoted an Albanian minister who once told him, “If you have a chance to hope, it’s a moral duty because most people don’t.”

Bono believes that truth and people power still matter, even when institutions fail. His message is clear: we can’t afford to become numb to the pain of others or indifferent to rising authoritarianism.

“It’s bewildering to me,” he said, reflecting on the abandonment of once-successful global health programs. “Like getting to Mars and going, ‘Nah, we’ll go back.’”

Do you think Bono’s warning about a looming world war is justified—or is he being overly dramatic? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More…

• https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/bono-says-the-whole-world-is-in-awe-of-canada-takes-shots-at-pierre-poilievre/article_7ace8459-39c3-4f40-9892-1472101b223e.html
• https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/celebrities/2025/05/27/bono-the-world-has-never-been-closer-to-a-world-war-in-my-lifetime-2
• https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/may/23/bono-criticises-benjamin-netanyahu-and-hamas-at-ivor-novello-awards