The U2 Conference is an event where students and fans of popular music can discover, examine, learn, and share what U2 has created and what it means to its listeners and in all the contexts popular music is a part of. Our inaugural 2009 meeting brought together a multi-disciplinary group from seven countries and featured over 40 formal presentations, three films, and networking opportunities.

The theme for the 2013 U2 Conference is “U2:TRANS-,” indicating an interest in U2 going across, over, and beyond boundaries in rock and roll, and working toward making moments of passing through or crossing over possible for fans as well as for the band itself. “TRANS-” concepts such as transform, transgress, translate, and transcend, for starters, will be in focus for the program sessions. We will have parallel tracks open to all attendees with sessions designed for both academic and popular audiences​

The U2 Conference will hold its second meeting for an international gathering of scholars, critics, teachers, and fans in collaboration with theRock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, April 26-27, 2013. Our keynote speaker is Ann Powers, popular music critic for National Public Radio. We continue to build our program and will announce more details in the months to come.​