U2 ARE IN “advanced discussions” about playing two gigs at the newly-opened Aviva Stadium as part of their 360° Tour before the end of the year.

The Sunday Independent says that the band are in discussions to bring their tour back to Dublin in October or November, with the band apparently keen to bring their marathon tour back to their home town if at all possible.

“They were disappointed that their schedule prohibited them from being the first band to play at the venue, but they’re determined to bring the show back to the capital,” the paper quotes a source as saying.

“There were suggestions of playing in the North but the Aviva Stadium seems to be where their hearts are set.”

The band’s tour was postponed for some months this summer after singer Bono was forced to undergo surgery for a back injury. The band were scheduled to play at the Glastonbury Festival during that time, and had to scrap that appearance – as well as postpone concert dates in North America – as a result.

243,198 people attended the band’s high-profile concerts in Croke Park last summer, netting the band €22.3m in gross ticket sales. The concerts also caused controversy, however, after local residents complained about the disruption in the area when the GAA opted to relay the pitch’s playing surface after the gigs.

Some fans were disappointed with the stadium layout for the concerts, with the band being forced to put their stage at the Hill 16 end of the stadium due to planning restrictions, thus depriving fans of the 360° experience as had been advertised.

Whether the Aviva Stadium would be able to offer the intended 360° experience remains to be seen, but the attendance at the concerts would be slightly smaller than those at Croke Park with the stadium’s full seating capacity being capped at 53,000 compared to Croke Park’s 82,300.

The band completes a European leg of the tour on October 8 in Rome and have no further dates scheduled until a trip to New Zealand at the end of November.