The Rolling Stones - Summerfest 2015

Finally, it's official.

The story Mark Belling broke weeks ago has been confirmed.

The Rolling Stones will be playing in Milwaukee at the Marcus Amphitheater on June 23, 2015.

JUST ANNOUNCED! @RollingStones will kick-off Summerfest 2015 on Tuesday, June 23! Details: http://t.co/e0h6KlqYV2 http://t.co/gwtxDDDts8
— Summerfest (@Summerfest) March 31, 2015

From the Summerfest website:

There's only one way to kick off The World's Largest Music Festival...and that's with The World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band, THE ROLLING STONES! That's right, Summerfest welcomes THE ROLLING STONES on Tuesday, June 23rd in the Marcus Amphitheater, (the night before the festival gates open) for the ultimate Kick-Off to Summerfest. There's more! Rolling Stones ticket holders are invited to join in The Official Pre-Party presented by Fiduciary Management, Inc. inside of the South Gate, featuring 2 stages of live entertainment with food and beverages available for purchase, starting at 5:00pm until 7:30pm, before the concert.

Some festivals have opening bands...Summerfest has THE ROLLING STONES! Don't miss Summerfest's Kick-Off Concert with the ROLLING STONES, June 23rd at the Marcus Amphitheater!

This is huge.

From OnMilwaukee.com:

"Signing perhaps the most iconic rock 'n roll band of all time, The Rolling Stones, to kick-off Summerfest a night early is unprecedented and a monumental way to begin Summerfest 2015," stated Don Smiley, President and CEO of Summerfest.

"We jumped at the chance to host The Rolling Stones and feature them in true Milwaukee fashion. There were a variety of key factors to consider, including the multiple day lead time needed to set up the show, which worked seamlessly with our preparations to open The Big Gig. Needless to say, June 23 will be a historic night for Summerfest, music fans and Milwaukee, and we could not be more thrilled!"

The show is part of a 15-city North American tour by legendary British band, that kicks off in May at Petco Park in San Diego and includes stops in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Minneapolis and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among others. No shows have been announced for Chicago.

With a capacity of around 25,000, the Marcus Amphitheater is by far the smallest venue on the tour.

The group has vowed to perform 1971's landmark "Sticky Fingers" LP in its entirety at each concert.

This is really a small venue for a band like The Stones.

Tickets for the show will go on sale Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m. For more ticket information, visit the Stones' website.

EVERYONE is going to want tickets for this.

The resale value will be astronomical.

If I manage to get tickets, I'll be at the concert.

Let's be honest, this really isn't a Summerfest date. But given that the concert will be only hours before the gates actually open, it's certainly fair to call it the kick-off to the 2015 festival, and the biggest band to ever perform at Summerfest.