Thousands attend Vatican concert with Bocelli and Pharrell Williams, followed by surprise drone show

Published on 14/09/2025 - 15:02 GMT+2

Over 80,000 group attended nan Grace for nan World performance successful nan Vatican's St. Peter's Square, which was followed by a spectacular drone show.

The show concluded nan World Meeting connected Human Fraternity 2025, a two-day gathering that brought together group from astir nan globe to bespeak connected humanity successful an property defined by societal and biology challenges, arsenic good arsenic accelerated technological progress.

The performance lineup included American vocalist Pharrell Williams pinch nan gospel choir Voices of Fire, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and different world artists specified arsenic John Legend, Jennifer Hudson and Karol G.

"I want to sincerely convey His Holiness Pope Leo [XIV] for opening nan doors to this ineffable spot to america all, and reminding america that existent compassion and grace statesman pinch fraternity, seeing 1 different arsenic brothers and sisters, and chap quality beings," Pharrell Williams, who co-directed nan show pinch Andrea Bocelli, said during nan historical concert's opening remarks.

"This is an opportunity for group to galvanise, and recognise their spot successful numbers. We still haven't done that arsenic a species, we still haven't asked ourselves for nan liking of humanity, acold beyond nan reaches and constrictions of different religions, tin we conscionable clasp hands for a infinitesimal and spot nan ray that we have," he concluded his powerful connection astir unity.

Following nan concert, complete 3,000 drones lit up supra nan Sistine Chapel, an awesome ray show breaking hundreds of years of tradition.

The drones - which were operated by Nova Sky Stories, owned by Elon Musk's relative Kimbal Musk - drew images of nan late-Pope Francis, nan look of Virgin Mary, doves, and nan Michelangelo's creation of Adam against nan backdrop of nan dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

On Friday, administrators, entrepreneurs, economists, academics, societal workers, students, athletes and belief guides came together astatine 15 thematic roundtables to speech bully practices, stock experiences and propose actual actions.

The outcomes of nan shop were presented connected Saturday during nan Human Assembly, described arsenic "a symbolic and operational shape that launches an world synodal process aimed astatine measuring, defining and promoting fraternity successful existent life."

The concert's closed nan conference, reaffirming nan cardinal domiciled of fraternity arsenic a cosmopolitan value. In an property marked by section and polarisation, nan evening sought to span worlds, uniting belief ceremony pinch nan cosmopolitan connection of music.