U2 in the round for stadium dates

Rock superstars U2 today announced a summer tour that will take in four major British stadiums and which will feature a revolutionary 360-degree 'in the round' stage.

U2's 360° tour follows the release of their acclaimed album, No Line On The Horizon, which is already number one in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Japan and the Czech Republic.

U2 360° will visit 14 cities across Europe including dates in Milan, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Paris, Nice, Dublin, Chorzow, Berlin, Gelsenkirchen, London, Sheffield and Glasgow before finishing at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on August 22.

The British dates are Wembley Stadium, London, on Friday August 14, 2009; Hampden Park, Glasgow, on Tuesday August 18; Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, on Thursday, August 20, 2009, and the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday, August 22.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 13, with prices ranging from approximately £30.

The European tour will be followed by dates in North America.

Long-time U2 show director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher - who was behind the ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo tours - to create an innovative 360° design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience.

U2 360° also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure.

Preview U2's 360° stage design here

The band's manager, Paul McGuinness, said: "U2 has always been at their best when surrounded by their audience, this staging takes a giant leap forward.

"With 85 percent of the tickets priced at less than 95 Euro, general admission floor tickets priced at 55 euro and at least 10,000 tickets at every venue priced at around 30 Euro, we have worked very hard to ensure that U2 fans can purchase a great priced ticket with a guaranteed great view."

In keeping with their long-standing tradition, U2 will welcome a number of different support acts to the tour including Glasvegas, Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and Black Eyed Peas, with additional artists to be announced.

Existing subscribers to U2's official website www.u2.com will have an opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public on sale date.