Produced by Jacknife Lee, the band’s first album of new material in nine years was recorded all over the place as the group put together a collection of 12 songs exploring themes of spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance in the face of dark, encroaching forces.
The roots of “Carnaval De Luz” can be traced directly to U2's two surprise-released and critically acclaimed six-track EPs of early 2026, recorded during the same creative period as the new album. Those releases, “Days of Ash” and “Easter Lily,” followed the liturgical calendar, and so “Carnaval De Luz” sits, stands and dances before them in timeline.
“Carnival”, a celebration of the flesh, 'carne', before the denial that is Lent, a period of reflection, and the rebirth of Easter. The song connecting the album and two EPs is the final track on the new album, "Torn," a duet between Bono and the late, great Dolly Parton, in what has sadly turned out to be her last recorded vocal performance. Co-written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid, it's a tender country song detailing broken family ties that holds wider resonances.
"It's a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs,” says Edge of “Carnaval De Luz”, “and features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording. Just saying."
"Roll up, roll up, roll up!," adds Bono. “Bring your purple socks, your broken hearts, your rose-tinted naivety... oh be amazed in the hall of mirrors. There will be loud guitars, deep bass, some ecstatic rhythms and, yes, some silver tears will make an appearance!
“Cause in the near distance just outside our carnival of light there are all kinds of creatures... the same imagination that brings us our creativity can also bring us monsters. So we make the drums louder. We build a bigger fire. We make our stories wilder and funnier. We make the melodies sweeter and the songs, they better shine, because if the world is in darkness we better not be."
U2 released “Street Of Dreams” this summer as the first preview of the project; they have issued a new single, “Silencio”, in sync with the album announcement.
The music video for "Silencio" was shot in Mexico City earlier this year and is directed by Cliqua, the Mexican-American directing duo Pasqual Gutierrez and Raul "RJ" Sanchez.
U2
“Carnaval De Luz”
Release date: November 13
Go (Carnaval De Luz)
La Reina
Street Of Dreams
The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)
Superficiality
If The World Is At War We Better Not Be
Silencio
The Greatest Show On Earth
Glorify
Midnight Sunshine
Can't Stop Us Now
Torn (Feat. Dolly Parton)