The U2 ticket frenzy has begun.  U2360° will visit Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and include U2′s first Perth date since Popmart in 1998 and tickets are already selling fast.

Tickets for the performances in Australia and New Zealand will officially go on sale Friday, September 3 at all usual outlets.

A number of pre-sale tickets have been made available to members of various groups.

U2.com subscribers were be able to buy tickets from Thursday, August 26. These were only made available to those who had been signed up as fans before the tour was announce, with a second batch being released to ‘newer’ fans on Monday, August 30.

Today tickets have been made available for those subscribed to Live Nation, one of the concert promoters involved in bringing the band down under. The pre-sale started at 2.30 this afternoon (Wednesday, September 1) and will continue until the same time tomorrow or until all the allocated tickets have been exhausted.

There is still time to sign up to Live Nation website and receive the password that will allow you access these tickets, at a limit of two per order.

U2 will be coming to Australia in December to perform in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth as part of the global 360 degree tour.

The Australian leg of the tour will kick off at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium on December 1.

In the video statement from the band, The Edge jokes that Larry promises to play in time, that he himself will play in tune and that Bono is going to run around a lot and do really cool things. Adam added that he’s going to hit a few cricket balls.

Bono said that they have a whole set of songs for Australia that will probably be played for the first time.

“It’s always a thrill,” he added before rubbing a stuffed Koala bear toy.

Australian fans have been promised their best look at the band, thanks to a new, in-the-round high-tech stage nicknamed The Claw.

It offers views from every angle and complete with rotating bridges and a towering video system, allowing full view by all fans no matter where in the stadium they are seated.

Manager Paul McGuinness says the band can’t wait to bring their extraordinary rock production to Australia.

“U2 is at their best when surrounded by their audience. It was important that we were able to bring the whole 360° production to Australia so fans could experience the latest of U2’s legendary productions.”

Giving all fans an unobstructed view is something the industry had been trying to figure out for some time.

Guitarist The Edge said: “Where we’re taking our production will never have been seen before by anybody, and that’s an amazing thing to be able to say. For a band like U2 that really thrive on breaking new ground, it’s a real thrill.”

It has been reported that rapper Jay-Z will join the party as a special guest.

Tickets for the Australian shows go on sale on September 3 with promoters saying prices will start at just $40.

December 1 2010: Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria
December 8 2010: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland
December 13 2010: ANZ Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
December 18 2010: Subiaco Oval, Perth, Western Australia

While the band has yet to confirm, industry sources suggest that U2 may tour Australia and New Zealand as early as November.

Radio Triple M reported last week that “all indications look like [U2’s Australian tour] is going to be this summer.”

Music reporter Nui Te Koha said that U2 look very likely to be here in November or December 2010.

“They’re going to do Europe, South America and that’s where Australia fits in before they head back to America next year,” said Nui.

“I spoke to the promoter Michael Coppel to see what kind of scale it is and he said it’s incredibly huge. It’s like that UFO in Close Encounters … It will stick out of the stadium and it will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Meanwhile, The Courier Mail has reported that the second week of December is firming as the window of U2’s return to Brisbane.

“It’s understood police licensing have signed off on the event, however, a well-placed industry insider said U2 management were still awaiting a medical report on Bono’s back before locking a date in,” the newspaper reported.

In New Zealand, reports say that U2 are finalising their plans to play in New Zealand in November – possibly at Mt Smart Stadium – and Australia straight after.

“Fans are eagerly awaiting an announcement from the band, who are expected to confirm dates not long after they resume their world tour, the New Zealand Herald reported.