Jay-Z to support U2 on 2010 Australian tour

Written by Abukar Ahmed

In what is arguably the most prominent announcement, in a flurry of high profile Australian hip hop tours in recent years, Live Nation this week revealed superstar rapper Jay-Z will have a special guest set on U2's much anticipated Australian 360 Degrees tour.

Kicking off at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium on December the 1st, the tour is to commemorate the concert promotion giants' recently launched Australian affiliate, Live Nation Australia.

And what better way to mark the occasion than team up with two of musics biggest entites?

The last time Jay toured in Australia was 2006 and speculation of his return down under had been swirling around since mid-last year. While rumors were particularly rampant about a possible headlining slot at the 2010 GoodVibrations festival, his name was a disappointing absence in the eventual line-up, quelling all the commotion.

In retrospect, being one of the brands most high profile faces, HOV's addition to the Live Nation festivities should come as no suprise. In 2008 Live Nation brokered a lucrative $152 million deal with Jay-Z, which will provide virtually endless funding for the hip hop moguls own entertainment ventures, live shows, tours and future recordings for the next 10 years. Also, incidentally, the last time U2 did the rounds down under, they just so happened to bring Kanye West along in support, so naturally the only way to go one better was to secure the services of his paradigm.

A seasoned veteran, Jigga’s live performances are an always extravagantly effervescent spectacle. He’s spent the last few months co-headlining summer music festivals throughout the UK, recieving much acclaim. In 2008, he became the first rapper to headline what is said to be the worlds premiere music festival Glastonbury. Interestingly, his booking at the Somerset event initially attracted scepticism from fans and musicians alike, including former Oasis star Noel Gallagher. But his headline set on the Pyramid stage confounded doubters however, as he delivered an immaculate performance that was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the festival.

Tickets range from $99 to as much as $400, depending on sections.

Be sure to check out the video of his recent performance at the ‘Isle of Wight’ festival after the jump, for a taste of his typically momentous live show experiences

U2 360 Tour ft. Jay-Z
Dates & Tickets

*Tickets on sale 9AM, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3

Melbourne, Etihad Stadium - Wednesday December 1 (Call: 136 100)
Brisbane, Suncorp Stadium - Wednesday December 8 (Call: 132 849)
Sydney, ANZ Stadium - Monday December 13 (Call: 132 849)
Perth, Subiaco Oval - Saturday December 18 (Call: 136 100)

For Melbourne & Perth tickets, click HERE
For Sydney & Brisbane Presale tickets, click HERE