U2 release Carnaval de Luz on 13 November as the tour dates grow

A new album after nearly nine years

U2 are preparing Carnaval de Luz, their first album of new material in nearly nine years, due out on 13 November. The BBC calls it the band's 16th studio album, and it arrives in the band's 50th anniversary year. The record grew out of ecstatic nights at music festivals and sets aside anxiety in favour of what Bono calls "defiant joy". It follows the Days of Ash and Easter Lily EPs released at the start of 2026, which carried angrier material. Larry Mullen Jr. returns to the drums after back problems, though La Stampa reports that he may need help from drummer Bram van den Berg on the most demanding tour dates. At Mount Temple School in Dublin, where the band formed, about 900 students watched them play during a press event, according to La Stampa.

Bono recalled the rollout of the earlier EPs to the BBC, saying the band released them without any advance announcement.

“We put those EPs out without telling anyone.”

He said the management and label had doubted the approach, but the band accepted a release with little hype, and the listeners they wanted to reach did take notice.

Tour and ticket demand

The album comes with a world tour, and ticket demand in Italy is rising. La Stampa reports that requests for the two San Siro concerts in Milan, on 5 and 6 July 2027, keep growing, and that possible extra dates on 8 and 9 July are already being discussed. The tour is also expanding with new international dates, according to the same report. Expresso says the band will play Lisbon in May 2027. Ticket prices have already gone viral online, and the Irish Times review called them eye-watering and Oasis-esque.

Songs, producers and early reviews

Carnaval de Luz is produced by Jacknife Lee, with Martin Garrix, Brian Eno and Ryan Tedder also credited, according to RTE. The Irish Times calls it the band's best album since How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in 2004, and says it effectively sets aside the weaker work since then. The review describes it as largely The Edge's album, from the opening track Go (Carnaval de Luz) to the riff on La Reina. The Mirror Maker (Rosalía) pays tribute to the Catalan singer, while Superficiality brings back Bono's falsetto. RTE is less generous, calling Superficiality a bit of a howler and saying The Greatest Show on Earth gets lost in middle-eight bloat. Brian Eno, who co-wrote that ballad, plays synthesiser on it.

Dolly Parton's final duet

The track Torn features Dolly Parton, who died on 25 August. La Stampa reports that the band was struck by her decision to get out of bed to record, since she was already unwell at the time. The band told the paper she was the right voice for the song, and linked her story to La Reina, a song about someone who rises from the street to become a queen. Born in the Smoky Mountains into a poor, large family living in a single room, she became the Queen of Country and a global figure, in the band's account. The band said they had wanted to work with her for a long time, and that she had a rare ability to be loved by very different audiences.