U2's Carnaval de Luz arrives Nov. 13. The Guardian and Live4ever give it four stars. Here is where the early reviews agree and where they split.
U2's Carnaval de Luz comes out Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, and the first reviews are in. It is the band's 16th studio album and its first full set of new songs in almost a decade, according to The Guardian. As of Nov. 12, critics are mostly positive: The Guardian and Live4ever each give it four stars, while Rolling Stone Brasil calls it the band's best in 20 years and says that is not quite the compliment it sounds like.
When does U2's Carnaval de Luz come out?
Friday, Nov. 13, per The Guardian and ClutchPoints. The reports we read give no U.S. price, vinyl details or standard-edition track count, so we are not listing any. What the reviews do agree on is the lineup: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., with Mullen back on drums after medical issues, according to The Guardian. Live4ever says he had back surgery. Live4ever credits involvement from Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Jacknife Lee, and says Anton Corbijn directed a video.
The standard album does not include the songs from the band's two EPs this year. The Guardian says that material, including "American Obituary," "The Tears of Things" and "In a Life," appears only on the deluxe edition. Live4ever says the band has released 27 songs this year across an album, two EPs, bonus tracks, collaborations and covers.
What do critics say about Carnaval de Luz?
The Guardian's Dave Simpson gives it four stars and calls it "some of the band's best work in more than 30 years." He says the album brings back "loud guitars" and a "defiantly joyful feel," a phrase he attributes to Bono. Simpson singles out "Go (Carnaval de Luz)," "Street of Dreams," "La Reina," "If the World Is at War We Better Not Be" and "The Greatest Show on Earth." Those ratings and verdicts belong to The Guardian, not to us.
Live4ever's Richard Bowes also gives four stars. He says the band's gospel tendencies "finally come in useful after 40 years" and that U2 seem to have "made their peace with being U2." He is less sure about the opener, which he says "wrong foots the listener," and he finds one lyric "a little on the nose, even for Bono."
Rolling Stone Brasil is the cooler voice. Pedro Hollanda says it is the band's best album in 20 years, but argues that the bar is low because the band's recent work was weak. He praises the playing, and The Edge's guitar in particular, but calls Bono's lyrics shallow and below the standard of earlier decades. That review was published in Portuguese, and we are summarizing it, not quoting a score.
Where do the reviews disagree?
Almost entirely on the words. All three praise the playing. They split on Bono. The Guardian reads his earnestness as part of the charm and says the music is "so epically impassioned" that it lifts the lyrics. Rolling Stone Brasil reads the same earnestness as the album's weak spot. Neither is wrong, since this is a taste question, and it is the one most likely to decide whether the record works for you.
One track is getting extra attention. "Torn," the closer, is a duet with Dolly Parton, and The Guardian describes it as her last recorded vocal performance. Rolling Stone Brasil says she died in August. Live4ever calls the song "a fitting epitaph for a true icon."
What is confirmed and what is not?
- Confirmed in the reviews we read: Nov. 13 release, 16th studio album, Mullen back on drums, EP songs only on the deluxe edition, Parton on "Torn."
- Opinion, not fact: every rating and phrase above belongs to its outlet. Pitchfork and others have also published reviews that we did not read, so this is not a full survey.
- Not found: pricing, format details and a track count for the standard edition.
Our take: if you are a longtime fan, the early reviews suggest this is the most committed-sounding U2 record in years, and the four-star pair is a good sign. If you have never gotten on with Bono's lyrics, no amount of critical goodwill will change that, and Rolling Stone Brasil's review is the one to read first. Either way, you will know by Friday afternoon.
Related reading
Picture credit: Photo: Frank Weigel (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sphere, Las Vegas, 2024
