U2 released Carnaval de Luz on November 13, 2026, marking their first full-length album of original songs since 2017’s Songs of Experience. Produced by Jacknife Lee and issued through Island Records, the band’s 16th studio album brings Larry Mullen Jr. back to the drums alongside Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton. Its 12 songs explore hope, friendship and resilience, closing with “Torn,” a duet featuring Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal performance before her death.
U2 have returned with Carnaval de Luz during the year marking fifty years since their formation in Dublin. Released on November 13, the record is their first complete studio album of new material in nine years. The intervening period included other releases and live projects, but the new collection marks a substantial return to recording original songs as a four-piece.
The story of the band began in September 1976, when Larry Mullen Jr. posted a notice at Mount Temple Comprehensive School looking for musicians. Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton became part of the group that emerged from those early meetings. Fifty years later, the same four musicians are central to a record that looks forward while drawing on their long musical history.
Mullen’s presence is particularly significant after his absence from the band’s Sphere performances in Las Vegas while recovering from surgery. Bram van den Berg played drums for those shows, making the new album a return to the familiar rhythm section of Mullen and Clayton. Their interplay is once again part of the band’s musical foundation.
Jacknife Lee produced the album, bringing together the group’s recognizable guitar sound and a broader range of electronic and dance influences. The arrangements move between rock, pop and more experimental textures, with an emphasis on memorable melodies and the interaction between the musicians. The result draws on several periods of their catalog rather than attempting to reproduce one particular era.
The title Carnaval de Luz translates as Carnival of Light. Its themes include spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance in an uncertain world. Bono has described the album as an attempt to make the music brighter and more expansive in response to darkness and conflict. The approach gives the record a sense of movement between tension, reflection and optimism.
The album is also connected to two earlier releases from 2026. Days of Ash and Easter Lily arrived as separate six-track EPs in February and April, having been recorded during the same creative period. Together with the new album, they form a broader thematic sequence moving through loss, reflection and renewal. The EPs appear in selected deluxe packages rather than being part of the standard album’s main track list.
“Go (Carnaval de Luz)” opens the record with a short, rhythm-driven arrangement that introduces its more exuberant sound. The officially announced 12-song sequence continues with “La Reina,” which brings Latin-influenced pop elements into the mix. “Street of Dreams,” released in July as the first single, follows with a more traditional approach to the band’s melodic songwriting.
“The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)” places The Edge’s guitar work in the foreground. Although the Spanish singer’s name appears in the song’s title, that alone should not be interpreted as confirmation of a featured vocal performance. “Superficiality” moves toward contemporary pop, while “If the World Is at War We Better Not Be” links the language of personal relationships with a broader concern about division and conflict.
“Silencio,” released in September, offers a different rhythmic character and includes additional production from Ryan Tedder. October single “The Greatest Show on Earth” is among the tracks featuring Brian Eno, who contributed songwriting and synthesizers. His other credited contributions to the album include “Go (Carnaval de Luz)” and “Can’t Stop Us Now.”
The second half introduces further changes in texture. “Glorify” includes a songwriting contribution from Martin Garrix, drawing on an electronic influence without entirely leaving the band’s rock identity behind. “Midnight Sunshine” offers a contrasting atmosphere, while “Can’t Stop Us Now” places greater emphasis on the collective drive of the four musicians. Lee’s production provides continuity across these shifts.
The closing song, “Torn,” brings together Bono and Dolly Parton for a duet shaped by country influences. Written by the band, Parton and Johnny McDaid, it addresses fractured family relationships and the possibility of reconciliation. Daniel Lanois contributes pedal steel guitar, adding another link to the collaborators who have played important roles in the group’s history.
Parton recorded her vocals in Nashville in June 2026. She died on August 25 at the age of 80, making “Torn” her final recorded vocal performance. The duet was not conceived as a farewell, but its release has acquired a different meaning following her death. A separate country version received a radio premiere on November 12, ahead of the album’s arrival.
There is a small discrepancy in the published track listings for different formats. Island Records announced a 12-song album that includes “La Reina,” and several vinyl configurations carry that complete sequence. However, certain standard CD and vinyl listings on the official store display 11 tracks and omit the song. The complete version announced by the label remains the basis for the album’s 12-track description.
The release also precedes the band’s previously announced 2027 tour, Carnaval de Luz Presents: The Greatest Show on Earth. The tour was unveiled in October and is scheduled to begin in Mexico City on February 23, with further dates announced in South America and other markets. It represents the next stage of the album campaign rather than a new announcement accompanying its release today.
With Carnaval de Luz now available, the band have brought together their original lineup, long-standing creative partners and a set of songs concerned with hope during difficult times. The record marks a new chapter in their recording career, while the upcoming concerts will offer the first opportunity to hear how its material develops in front of large audiences.
