To mark U2’s 50th anniversary this year, Guinness has partnered with U2 and Island Records to release a limited-edition vinyl version of the band’s forthcoming album, Carnaval De Luz.
The collaboration will launch on November 13, with a percentage of sales from the vinyl and accompanying T-shirts donated to the Guinness Dublin 8 Community Fund.
The anniversary edition features the 12-track album pressed on heavyweight pearl white marble vinyl, a 16-page booklet with lyrics and photography as well as a double-sided Guinness collectors’ art print by Bono.
Stephen O’Kelly, Guinness global brand director, said: “Guinness has always been a catalyst for bringing people together, driven by a profound belief in communion. When you look at U2’s legacy over the last fifty years, they share that same belief – knowing that the fans aren’t just an audience, they are the heartbeat.
“We are incredibly proud of this collaboration and honoured to create this one-of-a-kind piece of physical history for the fans. Giving back to local community is also important to us both, we’re delighted to donate a percentage of all vinyl and t-shirt sales to the Guinness Dublin 8 Community Fund.”
The partnership recalls an early connection between the brand and the band. In 1978, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. entered a Guinness-sponsored talent competition in Limerick (below) under their new name, U2, having previously performed as The Hype. They won IR£500 and a recording studio session.
Carnaval De Luz, also released on November 13, is U2’s 16th studio album and their first album of new material in nine years. Anton Corbijn directed the video for its latest track, The Greatest Show on Earth.
