The Final Song of Pink Floyd’s Live 8 Reunion: How They Chose the Setlist

The last song Pink Floyd ever played with all four classic members was “Comfortably Numb,” closing out their July 2, 2005, set at London’s Hyde Park during Live 8. It’s a fitting finale—Gilmour’s soaring solos and Waters’ brooding verses bookend decades of tension—but the setlist itself was a careful compromise between egos and legacy.

According to those involved, Gilmour wanted to keep it simple: just four songs, all hits, no deep cuts. Waters pushed for “Money” (which made the cut) and “Wish You Were Here” (obviously). “Comfortably Numb” was the natural closer because it gave both Gilmour and Waters a vocal showcase, and Gilmour’s guitar outro could literally fade into the night. They briefly considered “Dark Side of the Moon” in full, but everyone agreed 20 minutes was enough. Rehearsals at Bray Studios reportedly started with “Breathe,” then “Money,” then “Wish You Were Here,” and finished with “Comfortably Numb” every time. That sequence stuck. No encores, no surprises—just four songs that captured their arc from psychedelic to arena rock, with the final note belonging to the song that defines both their cooperation and their conflict.