U2 announces first leg of 2005 tour

[AntiCoup2K4]

Published: January 24, 2005 12:45 AM



U2 has plotted a 13-city North American jaunt as the first leg of a planned world tour behind 2004's "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."

According to an announcement posted to the band's official website, the much-anticipated tour will launch March 28th on the West Coast, taking in Phoenix and Denver as it winds from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia.

From there, a single midwest stop in Chicago bounces the band to the East Coast, where the band will play Philadelphia, East Rutherford, NJ, and New York before concluding May 26 in Boston. Kings of Leon is slated to open all North American dates.

Ticket sales for the run will be staggered, with Boston, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and San Diego going on sale Saturday (1/29). Tickets for Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose, CA, will be released Sunday (1/30). Tickets for New York and East Rutherford will go on sale Jan. 31.

Ticket on-sale dates for Phoenix, Seattle and Vancouver will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the announcement.

As previously reported, the tour will feature a general admission floor, as was implemented on 2001's "Elevation Tour." General admission tickets will be priced at $49.50, with other price points varying by city.

In an interview with Billboard.com, U2 manager Paul McGuinness said a live DVD of the tour was planned for release around the end of the tour, and that the band was exploring the possibility of making recordings of each show available online, possibly through their partnership with Apple Computer's iTunes store.

The entirety of the North American run will take place at indoor arenas, from whence the band will move to a 14-city stadium tour of Europe, kicking that leg off June 10 in Brussels and continuing through August 14 in Lisbon. A second North American leg is expected to follow Europe, though no dates or time window for that leg has been announced.

Members of the official U2 fan club will get access to some seats before the general public sale via a pre-sale system coordinated between the band and Ticketmaster. Fan club presales are set to begin Tuesday (1/25). (Ticketmaster is the parent company of liveDaily).


Tour Itinerary
U2 news


March 2005
28 - San Diego, CA - Sports Arena

April 2005
1 - Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
9 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
14 - Glendale, AZ - Glendale Arena
20 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
24 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
28 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place

May 2005
7, 9 - Chicago, IL - United Center
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
17, 18 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena
21 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
24, 26 - Boston, MA - Fleet Center

[koneko]

1. Woo-hoo!

Fleet Center, Baby! Two nights in Beantown!!!

[fishwax]

2. Kings of Leon would be a cool opening act

to bad they aren't coming to Dallas ... perhaps on the post-Euro leg.

[Emops]

3. What sucks is

that they probably won't come around my area even during the next leg. I think Ohio doesn't exist in the minds of rock bands on tour.