LONDON ~ Irish rock megastars U2 have announced the dates of a tour of Europe, the United States and Canada, kicking off in Barcelona on June 30.

The 360 degrees tour, to tie in with the band’s new album, No Line on the Horizon, starts in Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium before moving to Milan’s San Siro stadium on July 7 and then to France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The band returns home on July 24 to play Croke Park in Dublin before heading for Sweden, Poland and Hungary and then four gigs in Britain.

They then head over the Atlantic, with their first US gig of the tour at Chicago’s Soldier Field on September 12, followed by dates in Toronto, Boston and New York.

U2 announced the tour will visit 11 other cities in the US and Canada in September and October at dates to be announced.