U2 Announce New Album ‘Carnaval De Luz’ And Share ‘Silencio’
U2 have announced their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz, set for release on November 13, 2026, via Island Records.
The album is the band’s first full collection of new material in nine years and arrives alongside new track “Silencio”, which is out now with an accompanying video.
The announcement comes in the week marking 50 years since Larry Mullen Jr. placed a handwritten notice at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin looking for musicians to form a band.
Produced by Jacknife Lee, Carnaval De Luz features 12 songs exploring spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance, while drawing on both the experimental and more direct sides of U2’s songwriting.
Among the tracks are “The Greatest Show On Earth”, “Glorify”, “Midnight Sunshine” and “Silencio”, a short, punchy song that the band describe as carrying some of the attitude of early surf-punk.
The album is closely connected to U2’s two surprise EPs released earlier in 2026, Days Of Ash and Easter Lily, with all three projects emerging from the same creative period.
The final track, “Torn”, is a duet between Bono and the late Dolly Parton and features what has become her final recorded vocal performance. The song was co-written by U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid, with Daniel Lanois contributing pedal steel.
Carnaval De Luz also features contributions from Brian Eno, who co-wrote and played synthesizers on “Go (Carnaval De Luz)”, “The Greatest Show On Earth” and “Can’t Stop Us Now”, as well as Martin Garrix, who co-wrote “Glorify”. Ryan Tedder provides additional production on “Silencio”.
The Edge said:
“It’s a messy, provocative, sacred collection of songs — and features the first-ever use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording. Just saying.”
Bono added:
“Roll up, roll up, roll up! 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!”
The video for “Silencio” was filmed in Mexico City earlier this year and directed by Cliqua, the Mexican-American duo Pasqual Gutiérrez and Raúl “RJ” Sanchez.
“Street Of Dreams”, the first song to be taken from the album, was released in July.
U2 – Carnaval De Luz Tracklist
- 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)
Carnaval De Luz will be released across a range of formats, including limited-edition deluxe vinyl and CD box sets, coloured vinyl variants, standard vinyl, CD and digital download.
“Silencio” is available now on digital platforms.
