LOS ANGELES/NASHVILLE (Billboard) - With about 115 dates already slotted, U2's 2005 world tour will likely surpass its last outing in capacity and dollars.

The group's 2001 tour grossed $104 million from 106 shows worldwide, according to Billboard Boxscore. The top gross was $6.4 million from four sellouts at Chicago's United Centre.

The new tour, in support of the band's November 23 Interscope release, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," will start March 1 in Florida, according to the band's manager Paul McGuinness.

Building deals and routing for the Clear Channel-backed tour are being finalized.

"We'll play approximately 35 shows in arenas in the spring in the U.S.," McGuinness says. That will be followed by 30 stadium shows across Europe. The group will then come back to the United States for another 35-date arena swing and then go to Japan and Australia for about 20 dates.

The 2001 outing did not include stadium dates, nor did the band play Japan and Australia.

U2 is one of a number of superstar outings projected for 2005. Paul McCartney is believed to be plotting a tour, and there is still the potential for a Rolling Stones trek later in the year. But it is doubtful that either act will play as many dates in 2005 as U2.

By Melinda Newman and Ray Waddell