Early reviews. Critics give Carnaval de Luz an early B-Side Breakdown of 88 (B+), from 6 reviews so far. It will settle as more outlets weigh in.
, after The Guardian's review.
The verdict on Carnaval de Luz
6 of 6 critics liked it, and they mostly agree.
- Highest 100 Rolling Stone Australia
- Lowest 80 The Guardian and Record Collector
- Career #3 of U2's 12 albums with a Breakdown
- By the numbers U2's best-reviewed album here since Achtung Baby (1991). The second best-reviewed album of 2026 we've tracked so far.
| The gist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stone Australiaby Neil Griffiths | 5/5 | 100 | Nov 8, 2026 | “U2's new album, 'Carnaval de Luz,' reviewed by Rolling Stone along with their 'Days by Ash' and 'Easter Lily' EPs.” |
| Riff Magazineby Skott Bennett | 9/10 | 90 | Nov 5, 2026 | “U2 embraces its experimental instincts on ‘Carnaval De Luz,' an album filled with restless grooves, soaring choruses and defiant optimism.” |
| Rolling Stoneby Kory Grow | 4.5/5 | 90 | Nov 8, 2026 | “U2's new album, 'Carnaval de Luz,' reviewed by Rolling Stone along with their 'Days by Ash' and 'Easter Lily' EPs.” |
| XS Noizeby Lori Gava | 4.5/5 | 90 | Nov 7, 2026 | “U2 mark 50 years together with Carnaval De Luz, a bold, varied album that mixes familiar strengths with fresh sounds and some standout late-career songs.” |
| The Guardianby Dave Simpson | 4/5 | 80 | Nov 9, 2026 | “On their first album of new songs in nearly a decade, even earnest Bono-isms carry weight amid music that is impassioned and rejuvenated” |
| Record Collectorby Bruno Irace | 4/5 | 80 | Oct 28, 2026 | “U2 return with Carnaval De Luz, an ambitious and uplifting new album balancing post-punk urgency, stadium-sized melodies and moments of fragile reflection.” |
Every Sunday: the week's new albums, scored by the critics. Plus our own reviews when we post them. Free, and one click to leave.
Carnaval de Luz in U2's catalog
How these critics usually treat U2
- The Guardian Harsher than usual10 points below the other critics here. Usually 10 points above on U2's other albums (4).
- Rolling Stone About usual for them2 points above the other critics here. Usually 4 points above on U2's other albums (10).
More from U2
More Rock from around 2026
Would you spin it again?
Be the first to answer. Results show once 3 listeners weigh in.
How the Breakdown works
Every outlet’s score is converted to 0–100 (2/5 is 40, 5.9/10 is 59, a B+ is 88) and averaged. Grades follow the B-Side scale: A is 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F below 60. Approval is the share of critics who scored it 75 or higher; the Breakdown shows green at 75 and up, red below. Divisiveness asks a different question: not how many critics liked it, but how close their scores are to each other. Five critics who all give it 50 are Unanimous, even though none of them liked it. The labels run Unanimous, Broad agreement, Some debate, Divided, and Contentious. Replay rate comes from listeners, not critics: yes counts fully, a few tracks counts half, no counts zero. The gist quotes each outlet’s own summary of its review. Published is the date on the review itself, read from the outlet’s page, so you can see whether an album’s reputation came at release or years later. Scores marked est. come from reviews that publish no number. Scores marked via Wikipedia are archive ratings, mostly for older albums, taken from the “Professional ratings” box on the album’s Wikipedia page (published openly through Wikidata); each links to the original review when we can find it online, and to that Wikipedia entry when we can’t. When an outlet reviewed an album twice, years apart (often for a reissue), both scores count, each labeled with its year.
A-Side marks the critics’ top tier. An album earns it automatically, from its numbers alone: a Breakdown of 90 or higher, from at least 5 reviews, with at least 75% approval. Nobody hands it out and nobody can buy it; if new reviews pull an album below the line, it loses the badge.
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