Stevie Wonder celebrated the 50th anniversary of his album Songs in the Key of Life with a near three-hour concert at Dublin’s 3Arena on November 1, using the show to call for action on gun violence and global inequality, per hotpress.com.
The 76-year-old was joined on stage by more than 25 performers.
Wonder released the Grammy Award-winning album at 26, as his 18th studio record. It spans funk, classical and jazz, and deals with religion, love, inequality and racial discrimination.
He did not follow the album’s tracklist strictly. The set included “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” “Superstitious” and the gospel standard “Oh Happy Day”. He also paid tribute to his friend and fellow Motown child prodigy Michael Jackson with a harmonica rendition of “Billie Jean”.
“Village Ghetto Land” was a highlight. A 13-person string section conducted by Dr Henry Panion III accompanied the song’s lyrics about poverty. Wonder acknowledged continuing inequality, telling the audience: “Tell me would you be happy, still in 2026.”
He also addressed the fatal shooting of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy who was being bullied at school and was killed in the Bronx last week. “I hope we find a solution to this gun violence,” Wonder said.
Wonder has long had ties to Ghana, which he calls his “second home”. Before the album’s release, he seriously considered leaving the music industry to move there and work with children in need.
He urged the audience to “tell all the leaders of the world that I said cut the bullshit and let’s get back to life,” and to stop spreading hate and negativity.
The show then moved to lighter moments. Wonder introduced all nine of his children through an on-screen photo montage before performing “Isn’t She Lovely”, written about his eldest child, Aisha Morris, who joined him on stage. His 13-year-old daughter, Zaiah Morris, later appeared for a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”.
Wonder showed no sign of wanting to finish, joking that he could not break the venue’s curfew and had been told he had “six minutes” left.
•Featured image: Stevie Wonder at 3Arena on November 1, 2026/Copyright Zoltán Szabó/hotpress.com