The Rolling Stones are set to hit the road for a major North American tour after signing the promoters behind Michael Jackson's ill-fated This Is It comeback to mastermind the trek.

Details of the venues and cities the rockers will play have yet to be revealed, but it appears Mick Jagger and his bandmates have chosen AEG Live to promote their upcoming North American tour, according to concert-business sources.

RollingStone.com reports the Stones will receive upwards of $4 million (£2.5 million) for each of 18 planned arena shows.

A source close to the band tells the website the tour is set to kick off on 2 May (13) and the Stones will also play London's Hyde Park in July (13) and possibly a series of European festival dates.

The tour will be band's first for six years, and feature the Stones' first dates since they played a handful of 50th anniversary shows in London, New York and New Jersey at the end of last year (12).

There is also still much speculation about the possibility of the group headlining Britain's Glastonbury festival in June (13).