Kenneth Fox
The final Late Late show of the year will be a very special one as it will host the Busk for Simon which traditionally takes place on Christmas Eve.
Ten years ago, Glen Hansard first took to Grafton Street with an ensemble of well-known musician friends to raise money for Ireland's homeless.
This year, the traditional Christmas Eve busk cannot take place in Dublin city centre due to Covid-19, but The Late Late Show will be bringing the magic of that Grafton Street evening directly into viewer's homes in aid of the Simon Community.
U2's Bono and The Edge will perform on the night, pledging their support for Glen and the Simon Community, as will a cast of Ireland's top musical talent including Imelda May, Hozier, John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Shane MacGowan, Danny O'Reilly, Roisin O, Declan O'Rourke, Lisa O'Neill, and Kodaline's Steve Garrigan and many more.
They said the evening will be filled with special performances as well as stories and chat about memories of the busk from down the years, and the enduring importance of the work of the Simon Community, especially this Christmas.
Simon Community
Speaking about Friday's show, host Ryan Tubridy said: “This will certainly be a night to remember with the best of Irish talent in one room coming together for some incredible performances.
“In return, our friends here are asking viewers to dig deep to donate to the Simon Community and to help our brothers and our sisters who are currently homeless to get off the streets, to be safe, to be warm, to be treated with dignity and decency and ultimately to get the type of secure housing that everyone deserves.”
During the show, Grafton Street Busk veteran Imelda May will join from London with a performance of On Raglan Road, with John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Lisa O'Neill, Glen Hansard, and Shane MacGowan joining in from The Late Late Show studio.
Ryan will also interview special guest Philip Powell, who was staying in a hostel when he struck up a friendship with Glen Hansard and became a staple performer of the Grafton Street busk.
Philip will speak of his experiences of being homeless on and off for two decades.
Bono and The Edge will also perform an acoustic version of U2's Walk On and chat to Ryan about their experiences with the busk, the power of music to carry people through, and life off the road from the band.
