U2 will play a small London show for the BBC on 3 November, with tickets by random draw until 29 October

U2 are going small. On Tuesday 3 November 2026 the band will play an exclusive, invitation-sized concert in central London, recorded for the BBC, with a handful of tickets handed out by random draw.

The set will draw on songs from across the band's catalogue, alongside new tracks from their upcoming album, Carnaval De Luz. The concert will be broadcast on BBC Two in late November, as part of a night of programming dedicated to the band.

How to get in

Applications are open until 11.59pm UK time on Thursday 29 October 2026, which is tomorrow night for readers in the UK. You can apply for a maximum of one pair of tickets, and the draw is random, so there is no queue to win.

A few ground rules from the official ticket listing:

• Doors open at 7.30pm, the show starts at 8.30pm, and the running time is 1 hour 15 minutes.
• The audience is 18 and over.
• Tickets are non-transferable. They are printed with the name of the person who applied, and everyone must bring matching photo ID.
• The venue is described only as central London. It will be revealed to ticket holders on the day.

Why it matters

Carnaval De Luz is U2's first album of new material in nine years, due on 13 November 2026. We have already gone through what is known about the record, including Dolly Parton's final recording. A room this small is a very different proposition from the stadium shows the band are about to take back on the road: they open The Greatest Show On Earth tour in Mexico City on 23 February 2027.

For listeners outside the UK, the useful detail is the broadcast. The programme is due in late November, after the album is out, so the new songs will have had a couple of weeks to settle by the time most people see the band play them. An exact transmission date for the TV night has not been announced.

Find the band on their ADMC artist page.