U2 Extends ‘Innocence’ Tour After Quick Sellouts

As expected, U2 blew out initial on-sales for the upcoming Innocence + Experience tour, selling out in every city that went on sale yesterday. A total of 44 shows went up yesterday, with approximately 660,000 tickets sold.

Among the box office triumphs were a record-setting 118,000 fans queuing online to purchase tickets for Madison Square Garden in New York, resulting in two additional shows going up; and two new shows each for Boston, Chicago, Montreal, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin and Paris.

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The strength of the on-sales is a testament to U2’s enduring power in the touring marketplace, given that yesterday was the first time U2 concerts had been on sale to the general public in more than four years. U2’s last tour, the record-shattering 360 stadium run, ended in 2011, but tickets for the last shows on that tour had gone on sale almost a year-and-a-half earlier, as the dates were postponed due to Bono‘s back surgery. “The world is a very different place, musically and in this business, than it was four or five years ago,” says Arthur Fogel, president, Global Touring and chairman, Global Music, for Live Nation and worldwide producer of the tour. “You never want to take anything for granted, and I don’t, but four or five years is a long time.”

Fogel and the Live Nation Global Touring team were also working without a typical splashy U2 tour setup this time. The band did do a European promo run, but before they could do the same in the U.S., Bono was injured in a bicycle accident. “This was a bit unusual for me, in that I didn’t really have that [promo] as a launching pad,” Fogel tells Billboard. “I don’t care who you are, you want to make noise at the point that you announce a tour. So I’m really thrilled, given all the circumstances, and I’m looking forward to the tour.”

All of the new shows were announced in pairs, and the band also shed more light on the conceptual vision of that strategy. “We are going to try to have a completely different feeling from night one to night two,” says Bono in a prepared statement, “and have some fun playing with the idea of innocence and experience. More to be revealed!”

Tickets for the new dates announced will go on sale Monday, Dec. 15. While more shows will surely be added, it is doubtful that any more shows or on-sales will be announced until after the holidays. 

North American dates, with newly added dates

May 14  – Vancouver  (Rogers Arena)
May 15  – Vancouver  (Rogers Arena)
May 18  – San Jose  (SAP Center at San Jose)
May 19  – San Jose  (SAP Center at San Jose)
May 22  – Phoenix  (US Airways Center)
May 23  – Phoenix  (US Airways Center)
May 26  – Los Angeles   (Forum)
May 27  – Los Angeles   (Forum)
May 30  – Los Angeles   (Forum)      
May 31  – Los Angeles   (Forum)
June 12  – Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 13  – Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 16  – Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 17  – Montreal   (Bell Centre)
June 24  – Chicago   (United Center)
June 25  – Chicago   (United Center)
June 28  – Chicago   (United Center)
June 29  – Chicago   (United Center)
July 6  – Toronto   (Air Canada Centre)
July 7  – Toronto   (Air Canada Centre)
July 10  – Boston   (TD Garden)
July 11  – Boston   (TD Garden)
July 14  – Boston   (TD Garden)
July 15  – Boston   (TD Garden)
July 18  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 19  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 22  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 23  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden) 
July 26  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden)
July 27  – New York City   (Madison Square Garden) 

European dates:

Sept. 4 – Turin, Italy   (Pala Alpitour)
Sept. 5 – Turin, Italy   (Pala Alpitour)
Sept. 8 – Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 9 – Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 12 – Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 13 – Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome)
Sept. 16 – Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 17 – Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 20 – Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 21 – Stockholm, Sweden  (Globe)
Sept. 24 – Berlin   (O2 World)
Sept. 25 – Berlin   (O2 World)
Sept. 28 – Berlin   (O2 World)
Sept. 29 – Berlin   (O2 World)
Oct. 5 – Barcelona  (Palau Sant Jordi)
Oct. 6 – Barcelona  (Palau Sant Jordi)
Oct. 13 – Antwerp, Belgium  (Sportpaleis)
Oct. 14 – Antwerp, Belgium  (Sportpaleis)
Oct. 17 – Koln, Germany   (Lanxess Arena)
Oct. 18 – Koln, Germany   (Lanxess Arena)
Oct. 25 – London  (O2)
Oct. 26 – London  (O2)
Oct. 29 – London (O2)
Oct. 30 – London  (O2)
Nov. 6 – Glasgow  (The SSE Hydro)
Nov. 7 – Glasgow  (The SSE Hydro)
Nov. 10 – Paris  (Bercy)
Nov. 11 – Paris  (Bercy)
Nov. 14 – Paris  (Bercy)
Nov. 15 – Paris  (Bercy)