Bono played the recurring character MacPhisto during U2’s Zoo TV Tour.
MacPhisto was a theatrical alter ego introduced during the tour’s later shows. Bono performed as a flamboyant, devil-like figure wearing distinctive makeup and clothing, using the character to make provocative telephone calls to public figures during concerts. The performance combined satire, celebrity culture, and political commentary.
The character belonged to Zoo TV’s broader idea of turning the concert into a collision of television, advertising, news, and performance art. Rather than presenting a straightforward rock show, U2 used fictional identities and media interruptions to question how public information was produced and consumed.
MacPhisto is sometimes confused with The Fly, another Bono persona associated with the same era. The Fly appeared in the concert’s earlier performance sequence, while MacPhisto was the later devilish character. Both were played by Bono, but they were distinct stage identities.