Carnaval de Luz Receives Four Stars From a Number of Outlets

The reviews for U2's 16th album are starting to arrive and most have been broadly positive about Carnaval de Luz.

RTÉ's Alan Corr gave it four stars, describing an album of two halves with a sense of sanctuary and optimism, and a band reinvigorated rather than reinvented. Four (****) stars: https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/music-reviews/2026/1106/1598029-u2-carnaval-de-luz-get-ready-for-the-masquerade/

The Irish Times called it the freshest and most immediate U2 has sounded in ages, and said it was jolting to find the band still has something to say. Four (****) stars: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2026/11/06/u2-carnaval-de-luz-review-irish-rocks-crazy-diamonds-shine-on-brighter-than-ever/

In his review for the Irish Independent, John Meagher described U2's Carnaval de Luz as an ambitious, frequently exhilarating but uneven comeback album, praising the Edge's inventive guitar work and standout tracks such as "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "Torn." Although he criticized Bono's lyrics for relying too heavily on vague spiritual platitudes, Meagher ultimately celebrated the album as a welcome creative resurgence that proves U2 is more than a nostalgia act. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-reviews/carnaval-de-luz-review-u2s-ambitious-and-occasionally-exhilarating-album-is-let-down-by-coldplay-dull-lyrics/a/164042691.html

Record Collector found it flawed but fervent, sometimes trying to be all things to all fans with its many collaborators, but at its best when the band leaned on its melodic strengths and eased the pull between experimentation and stadium appeal. Four (****) stars:
https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/u2-carnaval-de-luz-review

Riff Magazine said the album channels the spirit of Achtung Baby at the right moment. 9/10: https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/u2-carnaval-de-luz/

Mojo's Victoria Segal gave it four stars, calling it a defiant, hope-filled rush of color and sound that works against the world's misery and refuses despair. She said Larry Mullen Jr.'s return had the band back at full strength, praised the urgency of "Go (Carnaval De Luz)," and singled out the Dolly Parton duet "Torn" as a highlight. Ms. Segal was more critical of "Street of Dreams," which she called on-the-nose, and of "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)," which she found uneasy.