Rock band U2 is set to release their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, on November 13, 2026, marking five decades since the group formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive in Dublin in 1976. Produced by long-time collaborator Jacknife Lee alongside Martin Garrix, Brian Eno and Ryan Tedder, the new release serves as the band’s first album of original material in nearly a decade following 2017’s Songs of Experience.
Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois Contribute to Studio Record
The 16th studio record features contributions from several familiar creative partners. Brian Eno returns to contribute writing, synths, and keyboards, while Daniel Lanois appears on the track “Torn”. Larry Mullen Jr. is back behind the drum kit alongside guitarist The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton. According to reviews, the opening track “Go (Carnaval De Luz)” acts as an unexpected curtain raiser that pairs Brian Eno’s electronic elements with Achtung Baby era guitars. The album balances Latin rhythms and celebration against challenging times, contrasting with the politically-fueled protest songs found on the Days of Ash and Easter Lily EPs released earlier in the year.
World Tour Begins in Mexico City Following Release
Critics note that the release is an album of two halves, with the second half bringing some of the strongest material. Highlights include “The Greatest Show On Earth”, which combines late-nineties pop elements with live exuberance from the 2000s, and the closing track “Torn”, described as a moving duet between Bono and the late Dolly Parton. As the band prepares to keep the show on the road, U2’s world tour is scheduled to begin on February 23 at Estadio GNP Seguros, Mexico City, with subsequent dates including a three-night run at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Band Grows into Major Global Rock Act
Within a decade, they grew from a local post-punk band into a major global rock act, scoring hits like “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, “With or Without You”, and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, and performing at Live Aid in 1985.
Reflecting on that dynamic, Larry Mullen Jr. noted: I think if we really understood how it worked, we’d have moved out of the rock’n’roll business and into political advice.
Bruce Springsteen previously described their approach when inducting U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005: I believe they actually practise some form of democracy – toxic poison in a band’s head!
Comparing it to past engagements with right-wing politicians, Bono stated: It’s a new world. This is different. It’s a little … fascistic. And it needs a different response.
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