Supplied press materials describe a U2 album entitled Carnaval De Luz, specifying November 13, 2026 as the release date on Island Records and linking the album to a planned world tour starting in 2027. The document is the sole source for this article: information regarding the album, its contributors, and tour plans has not been independently verified.
The material describes Carnaval De Luz as U2’s sixteenth studio album and their first collection of new material in nine years. Jacknife Lee is listed as producer for the record’s twelve tracks, which according to the text explore spirituality, friendship, freedom, and perseverance. Rather than framing the project solely as an anniversary release, the marketing emphasizes the band’s continued creative work.
This perspective also characterizes the description of the music. The document places experimental sounds alongside more tightly structured songwriting, and mentions “The Greatest Show On Earth,” “Glorify,” and “Midnight Sunshine” as examples of the latter. “Silencio” is described as a short excursion in the irreverent spirit of early surf punk. These are the press material’s descriptions, not judgments based on independent listening.
“Street of Dreams,” “Silencio,” and “The Greatest Show On Earth” are noted as singles preceding the album. The list of contributors joins established creative partnerships with more pop-oriented contributions: Brian Eno is listed as co-composer and synthesizer player on “Go (Carnaval De Luz),” “The Greatest Show On Earth,” and “Can’t Stop Us Now.” Martin Garrix is noted as co-composer on “Glorify,” while Ryan Tedder is credited with additional production on “Silencio.”
A cohesive launch
The closing track “Torn” is described as a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton, written by U2, Parton, and Johnny McDaid. According to the document, it deals with fractured family relationships, with Daniel Lanois on pedal steel. A separate country rendition, called the “Kent Wells Version,” is also indicated for release via Big Machine Records. In the treatment, the song becomes an intimate counterweight to the album’s broader themes.
The material also links Carnaval De Luz to two EPs with six tracks each, Days of Ash and Easter Lily, set for earlier in 2026. All three releases are described as stemming from the same creative period. This connection is central to the launch narrative: the album is presented as part of a cohesive music-making process, rather than as a single comeback.
An accompanying publication, Propaganda: Carnaval De Luz Edition, is described as a 128-page special issue in digital format and limited printed edition. The stated content includes lyrics, Bono’s notebooks from the album sessions, interviews with Lee, Anton Corbijn, Garrix, and Viviane Sassen, as well as the band’s reflections on fifty years together. The planned publication thus gives the launch a documentary dimension alongside the recordings.
