U2 opened the event with Martin handling vocals on "Beautiful Day" and "With Or Without You"; guitarist The Edge then joined Underwood for a song before she played her set, which was followed by West's performance.

Springsteen wrapped up the hour-long show by teaming up with U2 on "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", which he dedicated to the absent Bono as he recuperates at home in Ireland after facing surgery following a bicycle accident in New York's Central Park recently.

"This year is a World AIDS Day like no other," said Bono, speaking from Dublin. "The world reached a tipping point in the fight against AIDS - more people were newly added to life-saving treatment than were newly infected with the virus. A lot of people are calling it the beginning of the end of AIDS."

"We wouldn't be at this point without American leadership, people from the left and the right," he added. "Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over ten years ago. Americans don't know the role they've played in this fight. Tonight's event is to inform them and thank them."