Rumor: U2 Gearing Up For Themed Tour

An Italian U2 fan site reported on Wednesday (July 24th) that the band is gearing up to launch a new world tour that will feature up to three nights in every city the group plays, with a different concert set list for each night. Although there is no official source for the rumor, it is also speculated that the band will return to arenas this time around instead of the stadiums they played from 2009 to 2011 on the 360 Tour. U2 does have a new album coming out in the near future, but a title and release date have yet to be revealed.

Rolling Stone has come up with its own scenario for U2's three-night stands, formatting them like this:

Scenario 1 - Complete Album Shows
Night One: War + the new album
Night Two: The Joshua Tree + the new album
Night Three: Achtung Baby + the new album
Scenario 2 - Decades Nights
Night One: The 1980s + selections from the new album
Night Two: The 1990s + selections from the new album
Night Three: The 2000s + selections from the new album
Scenario 3 - Theme Nights
Night One: Hits + selections from the new album
Night Two: Rarities + selections from the new album
Night Three: Band's choice

Rolling Stone lists the pros and cons for each format, calling the first one "nakedly nostalgic" while the second format would open the show to a "broader range of material." But the magazine likes the third format the best, saying, "Everybody wins, except the casual fans that find themselves at rarities night and have to endure "Your Blue Room" followed by "A Different Kind Of Blue" and "Pete The Chop."