Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. have announced plans for a 16 city tour across North America this summer, as the band celebrates the 30th anniversary of their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree, with a tour. U2 will play The Joshua Tree in it’s entirety for the first time in 30 years.
The tour will first kick off on May 12, at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC, and conclude on July 1, at the First Energy Stadium in Cleveland. The North American leg of the tour will feature Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and One Republic as support for the tour. Additionally, U2 will headline the 2017 edition of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival along with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd and Chance the Rapper.
Ironically, with the current state of politics in America, the album was inspired by the band’s American tour experiences, literature, and of course, politics, which all became themes for the album. The album’s lyrics touch on America in a political and social sense, along with the band’s love-hate relationship with the United States.
The Joshua Tree is one of the worlds best selling albums, with over 25 million copies sold. In 1988, the album won two Grammy awards for Album of the Year, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
When talking about the upcoming venture, guitarist and keyboardist The Edge stated:
It seems like we have come full circle from when ‘The Joshua Tree’ songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk. To celebrate the album – as these songs seem so relevant and prescient of these times too – we decided to do these shows, it feels right for now. We’re looking forward to it.
U2 frontman Bono told Rolling Stone:
Recently I listened back to ‘The Joshua Tree’ for the first time in nearly 30 years. It’s quite an opera. A lot of emotions which feel strangely current, love, loss, broken dreams, seeking oblivion, polarisation… all the greats… I’ve sung some of these songs a lot… but never all of them. I’m up for it, if our audience is as excited as we are… it’s gonna be a great night. Especially when we play at home. Croke Park. It’s where the album was born, 30 years ago.
The closet the tour will come for New Yorkers will be MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets for the tour go on sale Tuesday, January 17. Tickets will cost $35 and $70 before fees. U2.com subscribers will have a chance at special pre-sale access starting at 9am on January 11-13 ending at 5pm.
U2 “The Joshua Tree” Tour Dates:
May 12 – BC Place Stadium – Vancouver, BC
May 14 – CenturyLink Stadium – Seattle, WA
May 17 – Levi’s Stadium – San Francisco, CA
May 20 – Rose Bowl – Los Angeles, CA
May 24 – NRG Stadium – Houston, TX
May 26 – AT&T Stadium – Dallas, TX
June 3- Soldier Field – Chicago, IL
June 7 – Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
June 8-11 – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – Manchester, TN
June 11 – Hard Rock Stadium – Miami, FL
June 14 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
June 18 – Lincoln Financial Stadium – Philadelphia, PA
June 20 – FedEx Field – Washington, DC
June 23 – Rogers Centre – Toronto, ON
June 25 – Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA
June 28 – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
July 1 – First Energy Stadium – Cleveland, OH
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