U2’s new album, Carnaval de Luz, comes out Friday, November 13, 2026. It’s the band’s 16th studio album and its first full album of new material in nine years. It completes a three-release arc that began with two surprise EPs earlier this year, and it closes with “Torn,” a duet that holds Dolly Parton’s last recorded vocal.
Key Takeaways
- Carnaval de Luz has 12 tracks and was produced by U2’s longtime producer Jacknife Lee.
- Together with the Days of Ash and Easter Lily EPs, the album brings U2’s 2026 output to 24 new songs.
- “Torn” was co-written by U2, Dolly Parton and Johnny McDaid, with Daniel Lanois on pedal steel.
- Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80, before the album’s release.
- Brian Eno co-wrote three tracks, Martin Garrix co-wrote “Glorify,” and Ryan Tedder added production on “Silencio.”
- U2 headline the halftime show of the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game on November 25, twelve days after the album comes out.
The U2 New Album Lands in the Band’s 50th Year
The timing is deliberate. U2 announced Carnaval de Luz in the same week as the 50th anniversary of the note Larry Mullen Jr. pinned to the noticeboard at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin in September 1976: “Drummer Seeks Musicians To Form Band.” Five decades later, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are releasing new music at a rate the band hasn’t matched in years.
The U2 new album 2026 rollout didn’t start with a single. It started with two surprise EPs, and Carnaval de Luz is designed to make sense of both of them.
U2 Built the Year Around Carnival, Lent and Easter
U2 released Days of Ash on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as a standalone six-track EP. The band described it as a response to chaotic times in the outside world. Easter Lily followed on Good Friday, April 3, 2026, as six reflective songs about friendship, loss, faith and renewal. Bono said the Easter Lily title was a nod to Patti Smith’s 1978 album Easter.
That’s where the order gets interesting. The EPs followed the liturgical calendar, from the start of Lent to Easter. Carnaval de Luz is the carnival that comes before Lent, the celebration before the reflection. The album is released last but sits first in the story’s timeline, so it opens a story the band had already finished telling.
In practice, Carnaval de Luz is the loudest of the three releases. U2 describes its 12 songs as dealing with spirituality, friendship, freedom and endurance against dark forces closing in. Bono frames the record’s purpose in one line: “if the world is in darkness we better not be.”
“Torn” Connects All Three Releases and Holds Dolly Parton’s Last Song
U2 identifies “Torn,” the album’s closing track, as the song that connects the album to both EPs. It’s a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton. U2 describes it as a tender country song about broken family ties, with wider resonances. U2, Parton and Johnny McDaid co-wrote it, and Daniel Lanois plays pedal steel.
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80, as her family announced. In its announcement, U2 calls her “the late, great Dolly Parton.” The duet turned out to be her last recorded vocal performance.
That makes “Torn” the answer to a question fans have been searching since August: what was the last song Dolly Parton recorded. It also gives the album an unusual shape. A record that opens in celebration ends with a country duet about family, sung with an artist who didn’t live to see its release.
The Credits on Carnaval de Luz Reach Across U2’s History
Jacknife Lee produced Carnaval de Luz, as he did both EPs. The guest list brings in old and new collaborators. Brian Eno, who has worked with U2 for decades, co-wrote and played synthesizers on “Go (Carnaval De Luz),” “The Greatest Show On Earth” and “Can’t Stop Us Now.” Martin Garrix co-wrote “Glorify.” Ryan Tedder added production on “Silencio,” the album’s short surf-punk single.
The Edge called the album a messy, provocative and sacred collection of songs. He also pointed out a small technical first: the album includes the first use of flat-wound strings on a U2 recording.
The Full Carnaval de Luz Tracklist
The album runs: “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” and “Torn (Feat. Dolly Parton).” “Street of Dreams” came out in July as the first song from the album. The video for “Silencio” was shot in Mexico City by the Mexican-American directing duo Cliqua.
U2 Take Carnaval de Luz From the Studio to the Stage
The eighth track has a second job. “The Greatest Show On Earth” also names The Greatest Show On Earth stadium tour that opens in Mexico City in February, with dates in São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The European leg opens in Stockholm on April 26.
Before that, U2 will play the album’s songs for a national audience on November 25 at the halftime show of the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game. Released on November 13 and played on a national stage twelve days later, Carnaval de Luz closes U2’s 50th year with 24 new songs and a duet with Dolly Parton.
FAQs
When is U2’s new album coming out?
Carnaval de Luz comes out Friday, November 13, 2026. It’s U2’s 16th studio album and its first full album of new material in nine years.
What was the last song Dolly Parton recorded?
Dolly Parton’s last recorded vocal is on “Torn,” a duet with Bono that closes U2’s Carnaval de Luz. She co-wrote the song with U2 and Johnny McDaid.
When were Days of Ash and Easter Lily released?
U2 released Days of Ash on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and Easter Lily on Good Friday, April 3, 2026. Both are six-track EPs.
Who produced Carnaval de Luz?
Jacknife Lee produced the album. Ryan Tedder added production on “Silencio,” and Brian Eno contributed co-writing and synthesizers on three tracks.
How many new songs did U2 release in 2026?
U2 released 24 new songs in 2026: six on Days of Ash, six on Easter Lily and 12 on Carnaval de Luz.
Is U2 touring for Carnaval de Luz?
Yes. The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour opens in Mexico City in February 2027, and the European leg opens in Stockholm on April 26.
