DREAM THEATER–John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, James LaBrie on vocals, Jordan Rudess on keyboards and continuum, and Mike Mangini on drums–are one of the biggest touring bands in the world having completed a 14-month tour with 110 shows through 34 different countries from 2011-2012 in support of their eleventh studio album A Dramatic Turn Of Events. Now the Grammy-nominated progressive metal titans have announced the first leg of their European tour launching January 15 in Porto, Portugal in support of their new studio album being released September 24; it marks the first self-titled release in the band’s nearly three-decade career.

The upcoming tour will encompass 30 cities in 16 countries. The band is also planning to tour North America beginning in March 2014.

DREAM THEATER was recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with John Petrucci producing and studio luminary Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Rush) engineering and mixing. The album marks a brilliant new chapter for the always adventurous band, their first to have been written and recorded with drummer Mike Mangini (who joined the band in 2010) wholly integrated into the creative process from the start.

“I see every new album as an opportunity to start over,” says Petrucci. “To either build or improve upon a direction that has been evolving over time or to completely break new ground. This is the first self-titled album of our career and there is nothing I can think of that makes a statement of musical and creative identity stronger than that. We’ve fully explored all of the elements that make us unique, from the epic and intense to the atmospheric and cinematic. We’re incredibly excited about DREAM THEATER and can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

DREAM THEATER is proud to provide VIP packages for all shows on their upcoming tour (full tour itinerary below). VIP packages include premium seats, exclusive meet and great with the band, personal photo with the band, signed limited edition collection tour poster, special tour gift, and much more. For more information and to purchase VIP packages and get advance tickets, visit the bands website: http://www.dreamtheater.net/tourdates VIP packages and advance tickets go on sale this Tuesday, June 25 at 9am GMT.

Here are the UK dates:

Thu 13/2 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo
Fri 14/2 London, UK Wembley Arena
Sat 15/2 Wolverhampton, UK Wolverhampton Civic Hall

The European tour dates are as follows:

Wed 15/1 Porto, Portugal Coliseum of Porto
Thu 16/1 Madrid, Spain Palacio Visalegre
Fri 17/1 Pamplona, Spain Anaitasuna
Sat 18/1 Barcelona, Spain St. Jordi Club
Mon 20/1 Milan, Italy Mediolanum Forum
Tues 21/1 Florence, Italy Obihall
Wed 22/1 Rome, Italy Palalottomatica
Thu 23/1 Padova, Italy Geox Theatre
Sat 25/1 Vienna, Austria Gasometer
Sun 26/1 Munich, Germany Zenith
Mon 27/1 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus
Wed 29/1 Prague, Czech Republic Tipsport Arena
Thu 30/1 Ludwigsburg, Germany Arena
Fri 31/1 Paris, France Zenith
Sat 1/2 Offenbach, Germany Stadthalle
Mon 3/2 Zagreb, Croatia Cibona
Tues 4/2 Ljubljana, Slovenia Small Tivoli
Wed 5/2 Katowice, Poland Spodek Hall
Fri 7/2 Bamberg, Germany Stechert Arena
Sat 8/2 Deinze, Belgium Brielpoort
Sun 9/2 Hannover, Germany Swiss Life Hall
Mon 10/2 Saarbrucken, Germany Saarlandhalle
Wed 12/2 Lille, France Aeronef
Mon 17/2 Amsterdam, Holland Heineken Music Hall
Tues 18/2 Dusseldorf, Germany Mitsubishi Electric Halle
Thu 20/2 Copenhagen, Denmark Falconer
Mon 24/2 Helsinki, Finland Icehall