“U2360” to begin in Spain

Nashville, March 7: June 30th is going to be a 'beautiful day' for U2 fans in Spain. The Irish rock band is slated to perform the first show of their world tour “U2360” in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

The official announcement for the same will be made on March 9.

“U2360” tour is in promotion and support of the band’s new album since 2004 “No Line on the Horizon”. The tour expects them to be on the road till the fall of 2010, with close to 100 performances across the globe.

After kicking off their first show in Spain, the band plans to wrap their European leg by Aug. 22. The American part of their tour is expected to begin on Sept. 12 at Chicago’s Soldier Field and is scheduled to end by Oct. 28.

After performing close to 45 shows in 2009, the band will be returning to North America by the June 2010 and then head again to Europe.

U2 as a band is known for striving to make their performances memorable. The shows of “U2360” will boast 360-degree audience configuration, which will increase capacity by 15 to 20 percent. The shows are also expected to have ambitious staging and a cylindrical video screen.

Guitarist the Edge (born David Howell Evans) said, "This is going to be completely different, and that's what makes it exciting -- finding something new to bring to the touring culture. It's hard to come up with something that's fundamentally different, but we have, I think, on this tour.

“Where we're taking our production will never have been seen before by anybody, and that's an amazing thing to be able to say. For a band like U2 that really thrive on breaking new ground, it's a real thrill."

Unlike their last tour, where they performed in selected arenas and stadiums, this time around U2 is said to be performing everywhere. According to the band’s representatives, playing at large capacity venues allows conservative pricing.

Sales for Europe will begin in mid-March and for America by early April. The top ticket price will be slightly higher than last time and the bottom price will be lower. The lowest priced tickets will be the closest to the stage having floor seats.

Field level is going to be $55. The price points will depend on the market ranging between $250, $90-$95, $55 and $30. U2 will also resurrect its random upgrade program, first seen on the Elevation tour in 2001, where select fans purchasing general-admission tickets were moved closest to the stage.

According to Billboard, the tour is expected to be one of the highest-grossing ever. U2's 2005-2007 Vertigo tour pulled in $US389 million, second only to the $US558 million haul for the Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang trek, which also ran from 2005 to 2007.

U2 are currently in the midst of a whirlwind trek to promote the album. It was released earlier this week, when they played on the roof of the BBC in London. Also, they had a street temporarily named after them for a week in New York, performing an unprecedented five-night engagement on CBS' Late Show with David Letterman.