Rolling Stones
Reuters

With their 50th anniversary having just passed without any celebratory concerts and many questions looming, the Rolling Stones have finally announced four shows to be played at London’s O2 Arena.

The announcement, which came via video message, says the band is slated to appear at London’s O2 Arena on Nov. 25 and 29, and then in Newark, N.J. at the Prudential Center on Dec. 13 and 15. No ticket on sale information has been provided.

In addition, a statement, obtained by Reuters, has been released by the Stones commenting on the announcement.

"Sorry to keep you all hanging around but the waiting is over," guitarist Keith Richards said in a statement, referring to months of rumors and gossip in the music press about an anniversary tour.

"I've always said the best place for rock and roll is on the stage and the same is true for the Stones," he added. "I'm here with Mick, Charlie and Ronnie and everything is rocking. See you very soon!"

Richards, fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood, Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts will perform on a stage designed around the band's trademark tongue and lips logo, and organizers have promised a high-tech live experience.

During an interview on BBC's Radio 2 shortly before the gigs were confirmed, Jagger suggested that the four dates could be a prelude to a longer tour.

"It's not going to be a long tour, the first bit," he said, when asked how many concerts the Stones planned to perform.

The band's last world tour was "A Bigger Bang," which went on for two years and culminated at the O2 Arena in August 2007. It earned around $558 million, making it the second highest grossing tour in history behind U2's "360 Tour," and demand for tickets to the 2012 concerts is likely to be high.

The band, which regularly works with longtime promoter Michael Cohl, opted to collaborate with Dainty Group and Richard Branson’s Virgin Live for the upcoming shows, according to Relix Magazine.

The four-show announcement comes after last week’s release of the band’s latest single “Doom and Gloom.” The track, which is the first off the Stones’ upcoming greatest hits collection "GRRR!", marks the first time the Rolling Stones have released a single in over six years.

Video London