Today, U2 have announced that they will embark upon the Joshua Tree Tour 2019 to New Zealand, Australia, and Asia in November and December 2019. This tour includes U2's first ever concerts in two countries: Singapore and South Korea.

The tour dates are:

• 2019-11-08 - Auckland, New Zealand - Mt Smart Stadium
• 2019-11-12 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Suncorp Stadium
• 2019-11-15 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Marvel Stadium
• 2019-11-19 - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia - Adelaide Oval
• 2019-11-22 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Sydney Cricket Ground
• 2019-11-27 - Perth, Western Australia, Australia - Optus Stadium
• 2019-12-04 - Tokyo, Japan - Saitama Super Arena
• 2019-12-05 - Tokyo, Japan - Saitama Super Arena
• 2019-12-08 - Seoul, South Korea - Gocheok Sky Dome
• Plus a concert in Singapore, the date and venue to be confirmed

Tickets go on sale first to U2.com subscribers. These presales began on Tuesday 4 June, and there will also be a Live Nation presale before the general public sale commences on Tuesday 11 June. Those dates are for the NZ and Australian shows—there are some variances for the Asian dates, the details of which are on U2.com.

As noted above, U2 have never been to Singapore or South Korea. It is their first visit to Australia and New Zealand since November/December 2010, and the first to Japan since November/December 2006. Adelaide was not included in the 2010 itinerary, so like Japan this is U2's first visit to South Australia since that 2006 tour.

This is the first tour since the Lovetown Tour in 1989 to feature concerts in all five Australian mainland state capital cities. Every tour since then has visited either Adelaide or Perth, but not both. Unfortunately, the band continue to only perform in Auckland in New Zealand; they have not played anywhere else in the country since 1 December 1993 in Christchurch. Auckland is, however, an appropriate place to bring the Joshua Tree Tour, as One Tree Hill/Maungakiekie, the volcanic hill that inspired the song, is visible from Mount Smart Stadium.

U2 are playing the same venues in Auckland, Brisbane, and Melbourne as they did in 2010 (the Melbourne venue now under a new name), and the same venue in Japan as they did in 2006. The concert in Perth is, naturally, U2's first time at the recently opened Optus Stadium. The concert in Adelaide is their first at Adelaide Oval, be that before or after its refurbishment; they never played the unrefurbished Oval, performing stadium shows at Football Park instead. The concert in Sydney is their first at the SCG, no doubt a choice dictated in part by the controversial stadium demolition and redevelopment plans that have occupied much attention this year in New South Wales.

There is room in the itinerary for second shows in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, and possibly Perth depending on when the Singapore date is scheduled. If tickets sell fast enough for the above dates in those cities, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement of second shows.

For the trainspotters, here is a fun little factlet. U2's last concert in Adelaide, 16 November 2006, was exactly 13 years to the day since the band had previously performed in the city, on 16 November 1993. The gap from 2006 to this year's show? 13 years and 3 days.