U2 release 'The Greatest Show On Earth' and announce first 2027 tour dates

U2 have released 'The Greatest Show On Earth', the third single from their 16th studio album, 'Carnaval De Luz', and confirmed the first dates of their 2027 stadium tour. The album arrives on 13 November. The opening run is in Latin America, with Beck named as support, and no British dates have yet been announced.

The single

The song was written by U2 with Brian Eno and follows the earlier singles 'Silencio' and 'Street Of Dreams'. According to NME, whose reporting this article draws on, the band describe it as a story of lovers trying to keep faith in each other, and in faith itself. NME singles out Bono's vocal and The Edge's guitar work as the main features of the arrangement.

The accompanying video was directed by Anton Corbijn and shot in the Californian desert. NME describes the black-and-white film as a satire of U2 as a masked religious cult.

The first 2027 dates

The confirmed shows are:

- 23 and 26 February: Estadio GNP Seguros, Mexico City - 10 and 12 March: Estádio MorumBIS, São Paulo - 23 and 26 March: Estadio River Plate, Buenos Aires

Tickets go on general sale at 10am local time on Thursday 22 October. Subscribers to U2.com can access a pre-sale at the same time on Monday 19 October.

In a statement quoted by NME, the band called the tour "a dare, to ourselves as much as anyone, to try and have the best night of anybody's life".

What UK fans know so far

The press release, as reported by NME, says further dates in the UK, Europe and North America will be announced in the coming weeks. No venues, dates or on-sale details for Britain have been given. NME also says a return to Ireland is currently in the works, but gives no further detail.

The tour will be U2's first full-scale run since their residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas ended in early 2024. NME reports that the band said last month they were back in rehearsals, with drummer Larry Mullen Jr returning to the stage in full after surgery.

The album

NME reports that the closing track, 'Torn', is Dolly Parton's last recorded performance. It also says the album includes 'The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)', and that Rosalía has said Bono contacted her for help with some lyrics. A limited-edition vinyl pressing is being released with Jack White's Third Man Records.

'Carnaval De Luz' follows 'Songs Of Experience' (2017) and the reworked 'Songs Of Surrender' (2023). The band also released the EPs 'Days Of Ash' and 'Easter Lily' earlier this year.