When will U2 play shows again, according to drummer

Last March, the U2 concluded a season of shows as a resident of The Spherein Las Vegas, in the United States. The band performed 40 performances at the venue, their first series of live performances since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, fans who haven’t made the trip to Las Vegas haven’t had the chance to watch U2 since 2019, when the group concluded its most recent tour proper. Therefore, the question remains: how soon will the Irish group return to the road?

The answer came precisely from someone who had been away from recent activities. The drummer Larry Mullen Jr.who did not participate in the season in Las Vegas due to health reasons — being replaced by Bram van den Berg —, planned a resumption of tours for 2026. In other words: it will take more than a year.

The revelation was made in an interview with The Irish Times. Mullen Jr also left the public curious by adding:

“I don’t think [a próxima turnê] it will be what we normally do. I hope it’s something different. But I’m excited to come back in some capacity.”

Two years ago, at the Washington Post (via Igor Miranda website), Larry Mullen Jr stated that he dealt with a series of physical dilemmas. For this reason, he did not participate in the group’s recent shows due to Bono (voice), The Edge (guitar) and Adam Clayton (low).

“I have pieces of me falling out; elbow, knee and neck. During the Covid pandemic, while we weren’t playing, I had the opportunity to examine some of these things. So I would like to take some time off, which I will use to recover.”

U2’s next steps

Since the post-pandemic return, the U2 has been a little less active than usual. All shows performed by the band since the resumption have taken place in the same location: The Spherethe impressive immersive arena in Las Vegas, United States. As for releases, only the single “Your Song Saved My Life” (2021), the album of reinterpretations Songs of Surrender (2023) and the new edition of the 20th anniversary of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) with tracks from the recording sessions, aptly titled How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb (2024) — it seems like a lot, but there isn’t that much truly new material in this cake.

The situation, however, may be about to change. The guitarist The Edge confirmed some news related to the group in an interview with BBC Radio 2 (via Music Radar).

The most notable is the fact that the band is working on new songs. Creations have emerged alongside none other than Brian Enolegendary producer with whom they recorded the albums The Unforgettable Fire (1984), The Joshua Tree (1987), Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993), Original Soundtracks 1 (1995, as Passengers), All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) and No Line on the Horizon (2009).

Regarding the sound concept, Edge gave a curious description. The guitarist defined the material as “a crazy kind of sci-fi Irish folk music”.

Another good news for fans is the return of Larry Mullen Jr.. The drummer has recovered from his health problems and resumes his position for new studio recordings. The Edge states:

“We put him in the studio. He’s fine, he’s taking it easy, but he’s back on the drums, still recording with us, so we’ll do some more of that before the end of the year. Bono [vocalista] and I are working on a crazy kind of sci-fi Irish folk song, which might end up being part of the new U2 album, we’re not sure yet.”

The guitarist points out that he is part of the U2 process “getting too far away and going off track and then coming back”. According to him, this is how you get a song from “unique sound”.

U2 in Copacabana?

In another interview, Silvio Essinger for the newspaper The GlobeThe Edge was asked about rumors that U2 would perform a free concert on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, in 2025. The situation shouldn’t even be a rumor, as it was announced by the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paesbut as you can’t trust politicians, it’s worth checking.

All said and done: the guitarist didn’t even know. At least that’s what he said. As the supposed presentation would take place in May, it should already be known. Still, there is no bad time with Edge, as he would still agree.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve heard of this, so… I don’t know! I have no idea if we could make it happen, but we would be flattered to be invited, because we love Rio, we love Brazil, and this would be an amazing place!”

Also the’The Globethe new material was mentioned. According to the artist, there is no deadline for release, but the idea is, in fact, to return to the influences of traditional Irish music.

“From records like October (1981) and War (1983) that we didn’t really look at the Irish influence. Since then, we have gained an outsider’s perspective and become more aware of the uniqueness of Irish music. Now, it feels like a new place for us to go. It could result in a U2 album, a side project, like Passengers… We’re not thinking much about where this will lead.”

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