New wave rock band Depeche Mode has announced plans to return to the world stage after nearly three years off the road. The band will launch the Tour of the Universe 2009 with a European leg, beginning May 10 at Ramat Can Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, and continuing through a July 11 gig at the Super Bock Super Rock festival in Porto, Portugal.
Highlights for the European tour include a May 30 gig at the O2 Arena in London, England, and a June 16 show at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Tickets for all shows go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. BST (or 4 a.m. EST) on Friday, October 10.
According to Depeche Mode’s official Web site, July visits to Spain will be announced in the near future. North and South American visits, as of yet unannounced, will follow the European jaunt. Live Nation is promoting the Tour of the Universe.
The trio — comprised of original members Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher — is currently in the studio recording their 12th record, scheduled for release on April 20 through Mute/EMI. The band recently renewed its long-term deal with the label, which released all Depeche Mode’s records since the band’s 1981 debut, “Speak & Spell.”
The currently unnamed upcoming album is a follow-up to 2005’s “Playing the Angel,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The record sold more than three million copies around the world, but currently hovers just below Gold certification in the U.S.
Depeche Mode was last on the road during the 2005-2006 season for Touring the Angel, which kicked off in North America before moving on to Europe. According to published reports, the trek was supposed to close on August 3 in Tel Aviv, but the show was cancelled due to safety concerns.
Depeche Mode itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)
| May 10 | Tel Aviv, ISR | Ramat Gan Stadium |
| May 12 | Athens, GRE | Terra Vibe |
| May 14 | Istanbul, TUR | TBA |
| May 16 | Bucharest, ROM | Parc Izvor |
| May 18 | Sofia, BUL | Vasil Levski Stadium |
| May 20 | Belgrade, SER | USCE Park |
| May 21 | Zagreb, CRO | Arena |
| May 23 | Warsaw, POL | Gwardia Stadium |
| May 25 | Riga, LAT | Skonto Hall |
| May 27 | Vilnius, LIT | Zalgirio Stadionas |
| May 30 | London, ENG | The O2 Arena |
| June 2 | Hamburg, GER | HSH Nordbank Arena |
| June 4 | Dusseldorf, GER | LTU Arena |
| June 7 | Leipzig, GER | Zentralstadion |
| June 10 | Berlin, GER | Olympiastadion |
| June 12 | Frankfurt, GER | Commerzbank |
| June 13 | Munich, GER | Olympiastadion |
| June 16 | Rome, ITA | Stadio Olimpico |
| June 18 | Milan, ITA | San Siro Stadium |
| June 20 | Werchter, BEL | TW Classic Festival |
| June 22 | Bratislava, SLA | Inter Stadium |
| June 23 | Budapest, HUN | Puskas Ferenc Stadium |
| June 25 | Prague, CZE | Slavia Stadium |
| June 27 | Paris, FRA | TBA |
| June 30 | Copenhagen, DEN | Parken National Stadium |
| July 2 | Bergen, NOR | Bergenshalle |
| July 3 | Arvika, SWE | Arvikafestivalen |
| July 11 | Lisbon, POR | Super Bock Super Rock |