Well into their 51st year as a band, the Stones, whose combined age is estimated to be the size of the Gonski plan and whose combined income is estimated to be the size of the federal deficit, will play six shows across Australia and New Zealand in March. While the Adelaide Oval show, leaked last month by an overzealous staffer in the South Australian premier's office, is an outdoor event, this seventh tour of Australia since the early 1960s is predominantly being staged in indoor arenas.

This is a change from their most recent visit, in 2006, where the giant production was put on in sporting stadiums around the country.

Sydney's Allphones Arena (March 25), Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena (March 28), the Perth Arena (March 19) and Brisbane's Entertainment Centre (April 2) will provide a roof as well a seat for the audience. Open skies will be the go for Auckland (April 5) and the most romantic of the shows, at Hanging Rock in Victoria (March 30).

Although original bassist Bill Wyman will not be on the tour and both original guitarist Brian Jones and original pianist Ian Stewart are dead, the guitarist who replaced Jones and recorded several of the band's most important albums, Mick Taylor, will return as part of the full tour.

Tickets go on sale to the public on December 16 at 9am. Despite the spread of dates allowing room for extra shows in most cities, the tour's publicity stresses several times that the Stones will play for one night only in each location.