ZAGREB — More than 120,000 fans from all over southeastern Europe have gathered in Zagreb to see legendary rock group U2 on their only stopover in the region on their current 360 Degree Tour of the world.
It is the Irish band's first visit to the region since their concert in Sarajevo in 1997. Local media have dubbed the two shows "the performance of the decade."
Some 63,000 people filled Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium on Sunday night, and as many again are expected at a second concert on Monday, organisers said.
More than 40,000 fans have arrived in the Croatian capital from countries including Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovakia and Romania.
The event has dominated news in the Croatian media for the past week, with detailed reports of the setting up of the stage on the home turf of the Dinamo Zagreb football club.
The futuristic décor is dominated by a huge metal structure nicknamed "the claw", which measures 50 metres (160 feet) and weighs 390 tonnes.
The opening concert on Sunday lasted around two hours and included songs from "No Line on the Horizon", the band's 12th album which was released in February.
Zagreb is one of 15 European cities on the 360 Degree Tour, which began on June 30 in Barcelona and will end in October in Vancouver, Canada, with a total of 44 concerts scheduled.
By the end of the tour, the group will have performed before an estimated three million fans.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved