Mark Knopfler has today announced a world tour with his band scheduled for 2019. The ‘Down The Road Wherever’ tour commences in Barcelona in April and will continue all over Europe - including Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday the 24th of May - before heading to the US through August and September.

The former Dire Straits man has his ninth studio album - which the tour takes its name from - penciled in for a November 16th release. The subsequent tour will serve to support the record, with Knopfler acknowledging how intrinsic touring is to the process of releasing an album.

"My songs are made to be performed live", he said. "I love the whole process of writing them alone and then recording them with the band, but ultimately the best part is playing them to an audience live. I enjoy the whole circus, travelling from town to town and interacting with this group of players is a total pleasure. I’m really looking forward to it."

One of the most celebrated guitarists of all time, Knopfler will be providing fourteen tracks of brand new material on Down The Road Wherever. The album was recorded in his west London studio, British Grove, and covers a broad range of subjects spanning his life and decorated career, from songs about his time in Dire Straits to his time growing up in his mother's native Newcastle.

Tickets for Mark Knopfler's ‘Down The Road Wherever’ tour at the 3Arena go on sale Friday the 2nd of November at 9am via Ticketmaster.

Listen to 'Good On You Son' - a recent release from the forthcoming album - below: