Gary Miller/FilmMagicThe Ronnie James Dio hologram is going to tour the world, beginning with a European trek kicking off November 30 in Helsinki, Finland. The tour is expected to hit the U.S. in 2018.
Dio’s widow Wendy tells Rolling Stone that she’s “sure” the late heavy metal icon is “giving us his blessing with this hologram project.”
“It gives the fans that saw Ronnie perform an opportunity to see him again and new fans that never got to see him a chance to see him for the first time,” she says. “We hope everyone will enjoy the show that we have all worked so hard to put together.”
The Dio hologram, which debuted at the 2016 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, was created by the company Eyellusoin, and will use live audio from throughout the musician’s career. For the shows, the hologram will be accompanied by a group of live musicians, naturally called the Dio Band.
“We are doing this because we were all a family and when a family has lost their beloved family member, they try to keep the memory of their lost beloved one alive,” says Dio Band guitarist Craig Goldy. “That is the spirit behind all that we do. When we perform on this tour, for me, it is a memorial service in the form of a rock concert.”
Here are the initial Ronnie James Dio hologram tour dates:
11/30 — Helsinki, Finland, The Circus
12/3 — Stockholm, Sweden, Fryshuset
12/4 — Oslo, Norway, Rockefeller Music Hall
12/6 — Warsaw, Poland, Progresja
12/13 — Barcelona, Spain, Bikini
12/15 — Santander, Spain, Escenario Santander
12/17 — Bucharest, Romania, Arelene Romane
12/20 — Antwerp, Belgium, Trix
12/21 — Tilburg, Netherlands, 013
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