The tour was announced at a press conference in Berlin

The tour will take in the US, Canada, South America, East Asia and Europe and Australia. The first concert will take place in Philadelphia on 12 September.

Original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will be joined by drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, and Townshend's brother Simon on guitar.

The band will release their first studio album since 1982 in October.

Tickets go on sale on Monday, although members of The Who fan club can buy order tickets from Saturday.

"I don't think I've ever looked forward to a tour as much as this one," Townshend, 61, said.

"Roger and I are both fit and well, ready to rock."

It doesn't matter that it's taken 25 years - however long it takes as long as it's good. And it is good. Roger Daltrey

The pair said they had tried to record and tour in recent years but the plans were derailed, largely due to the death of bass player and original member John Entwistle in 2002 while the band were touring the US.

"When The Who stopped making records in 1982, I felt I just couldn't do it anymore, it almost destroyed me. It destroyed one of the members of our band," Townshend said, referring to the 1978 drug and alcohol-related death of original drummer Keith Moon.

He added that his teenage son was the reason he wanted to get on the road again.

"I had a son in 1989, that's why I'm here. He wants to come and see The Who at rock festivals," he said.

The band played at Scotland's T in the Park festival and Ireland's Oxegen event earlier this month.

Daltrey, 62, said they planned to perform "some rarities that we've not played for a long time".

He hoped fans would feel it was worth the wait.

"It doesn't matter that it's taken 25 years - however long it takes as long as it's good. And it is good."

Also on tour will be keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick and bassist Pino Palladino.

The Who are best known for their 1960s hits such as My Generation and I Can See For Miles and the rock opera Tommy.