In 1976, Larry Mullen Jr. pinned a handwritten notice to the bulletin board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin: drummer seeking musicians for a band. That note marked the beginning of U2’s story, which half a century later continues with the Irish band’s sixteenth studio album – “Carnaval de Luz”.
The album is released through Island Records and contains 12 songs. It is U2’s first full-length recording of new compositions since 2017’s “Songs of Experience”. It features Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., and was produced by Jacknife Lee.
“It’s a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs,” The Edge says of the album in a statement cited by the Associated Press. The songs include “Street of Dreams”, “Silencio” and “The Greatest Show on Earth” – the composition that gave its name to the band’s upcoming tour.
Dolly Parton provides the vocals on the final song
The album closes with “Torn” – a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton. The song was written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol. Parton recorded her part in Nashville, while Daniel Lanois plays pedal steel guitar on the album version.
The Associated Press reports that a representative for Parton confirmed that “Torn” is the singer’s final recorded vocal performance. A separate version by Kent Wells and an official lyric video have also been prepared for the song.
The album is part of a broader cycle that began with two surprise-released mini-albums in 2026 – “Days of Ash” and “Easter Lily”, each containing six songs. As part of the celebrations, U2 are also reviving “Propaganda” – the magazine that their earliest fans first received in 1986. The special edition dedicated to “Carnaval de Luz” runs to 128 pages and includes notes by Bono, song lyrics and conversations with people involved in the making of the album.
The tour begins in Mexico
Following the release of “Carnaval de Luz”, U2 will embark on the world tour “The Greatest Show On Earth”. The first concert is scheduled for February 23, 2027, in Mexico City, while the subsequent dates in Latin America include further concerts in São Paulo and Buenos Aires.
The European leg begins on April 26 in Stockholm, with a second concert in the Swedish capital announced for April 28. Dates in France, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy will follow.
“This is a challenge to ourselves – to create the best night of anyone’s life,” U2 said of the tour’s title and the song of the same name, as quoted by Rolling Stone.
Sources: apnews.com, au.rollingstone.com, thedailybeast.com