The Ronnie James Dio hologram has officially booked its first tour dates. With a touring event dubbed "Dio Returns," the hologram and backing band will visit Europe this winter with plans to hit U.S. festivals in 2018.

After the tragic 2010 death of Ronnie James Dio, Eyellusion developed a lifelike hologram so the metal legend could dazzle fans once again. Backed by Dio Disciples, the hologram made its debut at Wacken 2016 and hit the stage once again at the 2017 Pollstar Awards, receiving mixed responses from metalheads around the world. Now, fans across Europe will have the opportunity to see it in person.

"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," Dio Disciples guitarist Craig Goldy tells Rolling Stone. "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. This gives [fans] a chance to experience [Dio live] without relying on the poor-quality videos on YouTube."

Ronnie James Dio’s widow, Wendy Dio, told us back in January that six songs have been programmed to be a part of the Dio hologram set. “We’re developing a new [hologram] right now with six songs,” Wendy said. “So if we do an hour show, Ronnie will probably come out four times. If we do a 90-minute show, he’d come out six times.” According to Rolling Stone, the set could include such classics as "Holy Diver," "Rainbow in the Dark," "We Rock," "King of Rock and Roll," Black Sabbath's "Neon Knights" and "Heaven and Hell" and Rainbow's "Man on the Silver Mountain."

In addition to the Dio hologram, it's expected that Tim "Ripper" Owens and Oni Logan may join the performances on select dates.

The initial ‘Dio Returns’ tour dates will begin Nov. 30 in Helsinki, Finland and finish Dec. 21 in Tilburg, Netherlands. Stay tuned for U.S. tour dates as the Dio hologram is expected to hit U.S. festivals during Summer 2018.

'Dio Returns' 2017 European Tour Dates:

11/30 - Helsinki, Finland @ The Circus
12/03 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Fryshuset
12/04 - Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller Music Hall
12/06 - 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

Dio Returns: The World Tour Poster

Dio Returns
Dio Returns
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