U2 Announces 2027 Global Stadium Tour, Calls It "Greatest Show on Earth"

The band announced Thursday that U2 will play stadiums worldwide next year, with the tour titled "Experience Carnaval de Luz: The Greatest Show on Earth" beginning February 23 in Mexico City and set to continue through 2027 "and beyond." Only the first six dates, produced by Live Nation, have been unveiled so far […]

Senior music writer and senior music critic

U2 will play stadiums around the world next year and present a tour called "Carnaval de Luz: The Greatest Show on Earth" starting Feb. 23 in Mexico City and running through 2027 "and beyond," the group announced Thursday.

Only the first six dates of the Live Nation-produced tour were announced as part of the announcement, all of them in Latin America, with the promise that North American and European shows will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Questlove's related stories reflect the power of vulnerability and pioneering: "I must be the change I want to be."

The first dates are February 23 and 26, 2027 at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City. Sao Paulo, Brazil's MorumBIS Stadium on March 10 and 12, and Buenos Aires, Argentina's Estadio River Plate on March 23 and 25. Popular in Variety

Beck will be the opening act, at least for these early shows.

Coinciding with the announcement, Thursday was the release of the band's latest single, "The Greatest Show on Earth," from the band's upcoming album, "Carnaval De Luz," due out November 13. Directed by Anton Corbin, the video and song is described as "a story of lovers who fight to keep their faith in each other - and faith itself," with the video for "Women of Religion".

Compared to some of their more anthemic releases, the new song for U2 takes a more ironic approach to the concept of "The Greatest Show on Earth" than the tour title might suggest: "Is This the Church of Love or Fear?" Have we felt strange to God here? .../ If this is love, we build a church out of our pain / People pull their dreams out of the dirt / We were once the greatest show on earth.

Bono said in a statement: “The greatest show on earth? Now that's a toss-up. It's a dare, for ourselves and everyone else, to try to have the best night of anyone's life. A little showman, a little shaman, color riot, absurd guitar, bass and drums, and songs you can hold. Because if people are going to show up, we will definitely show up."