U2 fans believe the band could be set to announce their upcoming album on the same day the band celebrates their fiftieth anniversary. The Bono-fronted group has offered up two EPs worth of new material this year, and fans believe the group is soppy enough to utilise an anniversary as a reason to announce further material. Wishful thinking from U2 fans can be found on the r/U2 subreddit, where fans proposed the potential for new material. A fan posted to the forum and cited the U2SONGS source as pointing to a potential album and tour announcement.
They wrote: “I’m sure many of you have seen this by now. But for anyone interested: ‘previously accurate sources have suggested the release date is likely September 25, 2026, or October 2, 2026. The September 25, 2026 date is notable, as it is the 50th anniversary of the day the band that would become U2 met in Larry Mullen’s kitchen on Rosemount Avenue. The first single is said to be out June 12, with the video the following week. We expect to hear our next taste of the song during the opening broadcast of the World Cup on June 11.” Fans will have to wait and see whether this is true or not, though they remain hopeful it turns out to be new work from the band.
One U2 fan speculated: “From everything I’ve heard, I think 25th is the album and tour. October 2 is ticket sales. Or October 2nd is a tour with ticket sales to follow. I’m being ambiguous. Lots will be announced late September through early October. Just get ready to throw down. No confirmation yet on tour start. I heard SA and Mexico, but.. Likely Mexico from what Bono said last week.”
Another added: “Well, the band has been focusing on Mexico these days: Street of Dreams, Silencio and it is rumoured that another song will also be filmed. And October 2 is a very important date here in Mexico, we commemorate the anniversary of the student movement that ended in a massacre by the military on the eve of the ’68 Olympics. It would not be the first time that U2 releases something on a commemorative date, such as Martin Luther King’s day or St. Patrick’s Day.”
A third shared: “50th anniversary will definitely be something. They are too sentimental NOT to do something.” While some were delighted by the possibility of new material from the band, others indicated that they would not want U2 to tie themselves to the World Cup, as it would feel like surplus to requirement during the sporting event.
One person suggested: “Getting a new U2 single during the World Cup opening ceremony would definitely have an aftertaste of ‘nobody asked for this’ globally, akin to the whole Songs of Innocence debacle. To quote The Edge, ‘Oh, here we go…'” Another agreed, adding: “They’re still chasing cultural relevance. It’s just who they are I guess.”
A third shared: “I get your point… but you don’t put your first record out in nine years and are U2, and just, you know, drop it without huge fanfare! To be fair the EP’s did that and scratched that itch, and those who prefer music to stand alone quietly without hullabaloo… A main record is gonna be pushed and to be honest, if the music is great, I want it to reach as many ears as possible…it’s 2026, and it’s the way it is…”
U2 last released an album in 2023, with their Songs of Surrender comprised entirely of covering their own work in a stripped-back style.
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