After U2's blockbuster Las Vegas residency at the Sphere, the legendary rock band has made a donation to UNLV College of Fine Arts.

The donation was subtly announced in the College of Fine Arts newsletter (per Las Vegas Review-Journal). The dean of the program, Nancy Uscher, said that the donation will “provide support for access to a stellar music education as well as experimental learning and performance opportunities forf School of Music majors. These opportunities will include student travel and support for creative activities and performances at various international music events.”

During a recent phone call, Uscher revealed that the donation happened after ongoing talks with a “mystery donor.” They continued to ask questions, piquing the interest of UNLV's representatives.

““We had this very wonderful dialog with the people representing them, and at some point they were pretty sure that our goals were in alignment with the kind of work they like to do in supporting education,” said Usher. “Then we were told who they were, and we were thrilled. I feel they have cared about Las Vegas for a long time.”

Most of U2's donation will go to UNLV College of the Fine Arts scholarships. As the announcement noted, some of the money will also go towards helping students planning on international performances, including attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer.

Some UNLV students have also been invited to the French Festival des Anches D’Azur in La Croix Valmer. The donation will help send students there as well.

All four members of U2Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. — signed off on the donation to the Las Vegas college. Uscher wrote them a handwritten thank you for their donation. Uscher praised them for their care of the students.

U2's Las Vegas Sphere residency

U2 members Larry Mullen Jr, The Edge, and Bono accepting Grammy Award in 2002.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY NETWORK.

Before the UNLV donation, U2 performed a 40-night concert residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. They were the first artist to perform there, opening the venue on September 29, 2023.

The shows were centered around their 1991 album, Achtung Baby. U2 performed the album in full, including deep cuts like “So Cruel,” live for the first time ever. Other deep cuts like “Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World” and “Love Is Blindness” were dusted off and played for the first time in decades.

Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton performed these shows. However, Larry Mullen Jr. was not able to perform. He is still recovering from surgeries he got to repair injuries suffered from drumming. In his place was Bram van den Berg of the Dutch band Krezip.

Now, the band is working on new material. They have spent a lot of time looking back, but it sounds like they are in the studio. The Edge recently said that a new song from them could be coming “very soon.”

The last original song they released was “Atomic City,” written for their Sphere residency. Before that, they recorded “Your Song Saved My Life” for the animated movie Sing 2, which Bono starred in. Their last album of original material was released in 2017, that being Songs of Experience.