The tour was officially announced on 30 September 2010 via press release. Shortly, media outlets began to buzz over the tour. Concurrently, the announcement of the tour followed the band's recent studio album,
Soldier of Love, certified platinum in the United States. Advertised as a world tour, the initial announcement showed ten dates in the Southeastern United States. Soon after, dates in the United Kingdom and Europe were announced as well—giving the band its first performances in nearly two decades. At the start of 2011, the album was nominated for two
Grammy Awards, prompting the band to add additional dates in the U.S.. During this time, American recording artist
John Legend was revealed to be the opening act for the North American leg of the tour. Additional dates in Europe and North America followed. Frontwoman,
Sade, described touring as being on a thrill ride at an amusement park. She further commented, "Once you’re on the ride, you’re so involved in it that it's almost too late to say, 'What am I doing?’ In some ways, I'm already psyched up [for the tour]. You have to know that it's going to be good to bring yourself to do it." To introduce the tour, Adu stated: Due to the success of the tour, new dates were added in Australia which marked the band's second tour there in almost twenty years. ==Broadcasts and recordings==