Rumour of U2 in Europe, May-July 2016
A rumour of U2 performing in Portugal has lit up the Portuguese press. It began with this article from Blitz, which cites the promoter who has promoted all U2 concerts in Portugal since ZooTV.
According to Blitz, U2 will tour Europe from May to July 2016, starting in Paris and playing more indoor shows (rather than stadiums as has been previously speculated), before going back to North America in September. However, there are some claims made in the article that are cause for scepticism.
The rumour's content about Portugal is straightforward enough. Blitz reports that the promoter is negotiating the precise number of shows in Lisbon, but they will be more than two. The shows will most likely take place at the MEO Arena, and would be U2's first ever indoor shows in Portugal - all previous visits have been stadium concerts or, in 1982, an outdoor festival.
However, Blitz claims that the tour in 2016 will be called the Volcano Tour, not the Innocence + Experience Tour, and that the stage will be in the shape of a volcano. The Volcano name circulated last year before the tour was announced, and it would be highly abnormal for the band to change the tour's name halfway. The volcano-shaped stage rumour was so absurd, and so poorly sourced, that we never gave it any credibility, and the photos from Vancouver have borne out our suspicions. U2's stages have sometimes evolved a little as the tour progressed (most notably the sharp distinction between the arena and stadium setups on ZooTV and Vertigo), so it is possible they could modify it in 2016, but such a radical change while still playing in arenas - and to something so gimmicky - would be both a surprise and unprecedented.
So make of this rumour what you will. The dates are plausible and the source appears strong, but the repetition of the old volcano-related rumours gives reason for pause.
According to Blitz, U2 will tour Europe from May to July 2016, starting in Paris and playing more indoor shows (rather than stadiums as has been previously speculated), before going back to North America in September. However, there are some claims made in the article that are cause for scepticism.
The rumour's content about Portugal is straightforward enough. Blitz reports that the promoter is negotiating the precise number of shows in Lisbon, but they will be more than two. The shows will most likely take place at the MEO Arena, and would be U2's first ever indoor shows in Portugal - all previous visits have been stadium concerts or, in 1982, an outdoor festival.
However, Blitz claims that the tour in 2016 will be called the Volcano Tour, not the Innocence + Experience Tour, and that the stage will be in the shape of a volcano. The Volcano name circulated last year before the tour was announced, and it would be highly abnormal for the band to change the tour's name halfway. The volcano-shaped stage rumour was so absurd, and so poorly sourced, that we never gave it any credibility, and the photos from Vancouver have borne out our suspicions. U2's stages have sometimes evolved a little as the tour progressed (most notably the sharp distinction between the arena and stadium setups on ZooTV and Vertigo), so it is possible they could modify it in 2016, but such a radical change while still playing in arenas - and to something so gimmicky - would be both a surprise and unprecedented.
So make of this rumour what you will. The dates are plausible and the source appears strong, but the repetition of the old volcano-related rumours gives reason for pause.
Posted on by Axver