U2 have shared a glimpse of what their highly-anticipated Greatest Show on Earth stadium tour will look like.
The band is scheduled to launch their worldwide trek Feb. 23 in Mexico City. The Latin America dates stretch through March, with European shows following from April through July. U.S. performances haven’t been announced yet, but are expected soon. U2’s new album, Carnival De Luz, will be released Nov. 13.
During a recent interview with iHeartRadio host Stryker, U2 shared the first images of their stage design and lighting for the tour (video below). “I have asked if people are interested in seeing some of the sketches that we have done for the tour,” Bono began, joking that none of the “grownups” who work with the band said no.
Then, much to the delight of the fans in attendance, the band proceeded to show a handful of slides displaying what the stage will look like. The first image showed a stage shrouded in massive red curtains.
‘We’re Playing With the Idea of Show Business’
“We can’t tell you what’s behind the curtain, because then we would have to kill you,” Bono joked. “But a lot is going to go on behind the curtain. We’re playing with this idea of show business. We never thought we were in show business. For us, we’re making art. So it’s a little play on shamanism and show business.”
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A second image showed the four members of U2 emerging from behind the red curtains in a sea of fog. “Pink Floyd had ‘The Wall’, we’ve got the red curtains,” Bono remarked.
The third image showed strings of yellow bulbs, along with a circle of lighting towers. The effect makes part of the stage look like it’s under the big top, further illustrating the tour’s theme. “There’s the carnival,” Bono noted, describing the lights as “festooning.” “And you’ll notice the ‘Carnival De Luz’ [sign] is up there, but it’s facing backwards because everyone in the audience is kind of backstage, is how we see it.”
The Greatest Show on Earth trek will be U2’s first tour since 2019. The Irish group also enjoyed a groundbreaking residency at the Sphere, which ran from Sept. 2023 to March 2024.
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Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
