U2 announce new album Carnaval de Luz, featuring final recording by Dolly Parton

by | Sep 24, 2026 | Entertainment

U2 announce new album Carnaval de Luz, featuring final recording by Dolly Parton

U2 revealed details of Carnaval de Luz, their 16th studio album, set for release on 13 November. The 12-track record marks the band’s first collection of new material in approximately ten years and represents a significant project for the Dublin-based rock group.

One of the album’s notable features is a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton titled Torn, which functions as the closing track. The song explores themes of fractured family relationships and was recorded as Parton’s final musical performance before her death at age 80 on 25 August. Press materials describe the composition as a tender country piece with broader thematic significance.

Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, legendary producers who worked on U2’s landmark albums including The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, returned to helm the new project. Eno contributes synths and co-writes on three tracks, while Lanois performs pedal steel on the Parton duet. The album also features collaborations with contemporary artists, including EDM producer Martin Garrix and pop musician Ryan Tedder.

The announcement arrives following an active period for the group, which released two EPs earlier in the year: Days of Ash in February and Easter Lily. Band members described the forthcoming album with varied language—guitarist the Edge characterized it as “a messy, provocative, sacred collection,” while Bono indicated the work would embrace a more celebratory tone than the politically engaged material on Days of Ash. Two tracks have been previously released: Street of Dreams in July and Silencio alongside the album announcement.

The album announcement coincided with a notable milestone: approximately 50 years since drummer Larry Mullen Jr. initiated the band’s formation by posting a notice at Dublin’s Mount Temple Comprehensive School seeking musicians to join him in a band.

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