Nine years is a long time between studio albums. Long enough for entire careers to bloom and collapse. U2 breaks that gap on Nov. 13, 2026, with Carnaval De Luz — 12 tracks, produced by Jacknife Lee, released via Island Records — and immediately pairs it with something the industry hasn’t seen from the band in nearly a decade: a full album-led stadium world tour. The run is called Carnaval De Luz presents: The Greatest Show on Earth, produced by Live Nation. The band says it continues through 2027 “and beyond,” language that suggests the possibility of a multiyear cycle rather than a short promotional run.
While North American and European fans are left watching for announcements, Latin America holds every confirmed show. Mexico City opens the tour Feb. 23 at Estadio GNP Seguros, with a second night on Feb. 26. São Paulo follows at Estádio MorumBIS on March 10 and 12. Buenos Aires closes the initial leg at Estadio River Plate on March 23 and 25. Beck opens all six currently announced Latin American shows — a pairing worth noting, given that both acts have long resisted the pull of a single genre. North American and European dates are expected in the coming weeks, per the band’s announcement. An Ireland return is reportedly in the planning stages, though no dates appeared in the initial announcement.
Confirmed dates and ticketing:
- Feb. 23 & 26 — Estadio GNP Seguros, Mexico City
- March 10 & 12 — Estádio MorumBIS, São Paulo
- March 23 & 25 — Estadio River Plate, Buenos Aires
- U2.com subscriber presales and packages begin Oct. 19, 2026
- São Paulo & Buenos Aires general on-sale: Oct. 22; Mexico City: Oct. 23
The album’s collaborator list signals exactly what U2 is attempting. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois appear alongside Martin Garrix, Ryan Tedder, and Dolly Parton — a combination that reads less like a features list and more like a refusal to occupy any single corner of the sound map.
The tour announcement landed alongside “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the third single previewed from the record. Its Anton Corbijn-directed video is built around a satirical religious-cult concept, with the song itself addressing themes of faith, love, and fear. Bono described the tour title as a self-imposed challenge — to deliver vivid spectacle, theatricality, and U2’s core rock instrumentation, according to Variety. That’s either a promise or a dare. Probably both.
The Rest of the World Waits
With North American and European markets still unconfirmed, the full scale of this tour has yet to come into focus.
Latin America gets the debut. Everyone else is on the clock. The “and beyond” phrasing embedded in the announcement suggests this isn’t a tight six-date promotional run — it points toward something built to expand. When North American and European dates land, the complete shape of the tour becomes clear. Until then, Feb. 23 in Mexico City is where the nine-year wait meets its first answer.
