U2, Wu-Tang Clan and Phil Collins highlight 2026 Rock Hall ceremony
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Bono and Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 perform during the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. Photo: Kevin Kane/Getty Images
Only at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will you find Wu-Tang Clan shouting out Phil Collins, "Wicked's" Cynthia Erivo bringing down the house and the Red Hot Chili Peppers dancing around in fake white beards.
Why it matters: The Rock Hall touts its annual induction as "rock's biggest night," and it lived up to that billing Saturday at Los Angeles' Peacock Theatre.
State of play: This year's eclectic class featured 18 honorees, including Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Phil Collins and Luther Vandross.
- Despite the absence of several major inductees like Iron Maiden, Oasis and Sade, the ceremony delivered more than enough star power to compensate.
The surprise: U2, inducted in 2005, opened the show with blistering versions of new single "Silencio" and the classic "Pride (In the Name of Love)."
- It was an unexpected kickoff to a night filled with memorable performances, emotional tributes and unlikely collaborations.
The highlights: Usher honored Vandross with a pitch-perfect medley, Idol dueted with Gwen Stefani on "Eyes Without a Face" and Deftones performed Joy Division/New Order classics.
- Hip-hop had a particularly strong showing, with inductees MC Lyte and Queen Latifah joining forces and every living member of Wu-Tang Clan taking the stage for a raucous celebration.
Zoom in: Sometimes the quieter moments resonated most, including when a visibly frail Collins stood alongside Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker as Barker honored his hero.
- Barker later joined Erivo for a stunning rendition of Collins' "In the Air Tonight" that brought the crowd to its feet.
The big picture: Running roughly four and a half hours, the ceremony was shorter than in most years, though producers still struggled to keep things moving.
- Wu-Tang Clan's speeches were cut short, drawing boos, while Neil Young's lengthy tribute to producer Rick Rubin seems destined for the editing room before the three-hour ABC broadcast on Dec. 8.
The finale: Aerosmith and Run-DMC reunited for a surprise performance of their groundbreaking 1986 collaboration "Walk This Way," produced by Rubin.
What they're saying: Fittingly, it was the Zen-like Rubin who summed up the entire night with one of the ceremony's shortest acceptance speeches.
- "You can't kill rock 'n' roll."
The bottom line: For all the debate over what belongs in the Rock Hall, Saturday's ceremony made a compelling case that rock 'n' roll is bigger, broader and more alive than ever.
