Australian Dates Expected In Rolling Stones World Tour

Australian dates for The Rolling Stones are expected to be in the upcoming announcement for their world tour, with the reveal potentially coming as early as Easter.

The band played five shows late last year to mark their 50th anniversary, with Australian promoter Paul Dainty and Richard Branson's Virgin teaming up to present the shows under the banner of Virgin Live. They were expected to be the promoters of the legendary British band's upcoming world tour, but last week AEG Live swooped in after the initial deal fell over, according to Billboard.

They report that Dainty was unable to close the deal after struggling to raise the necessary funds, which was likely to include other promoters. Showbiz411 claims that for the 18 American dates the band wanted a $20 million advance and a line of credit they could draw from. A 45 minute phone call from AEG Live's Randy Phillips to Philip Anschutz, owner of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, confirmed that they could meet the Stones' demands.

This week multiple sources have suggested to theMusic.com.au that any Australian dates – which are definitely being discussed – would still be handled by Dainty. A representative from the Dainty Group is yet to respond to theMusic.

AEG also has business interests in Australia through AEG Ogden, which controls a number of the country's biggest venues, including Allphones Arena, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Perth Concert Hall and Suncorp Stadium. The company is a joint venture between AEG's AEG Facilities and locally based Ogden IFC.