Could Arcade Fire be back on Irish shores before the end of 2017?

According to comments made by drummer Jeremy Gara, it's a possibility as the Canadian band are reportedly planning an extensive tour after releasing their new album this year.

That album release could also be as close as April, which tallies with previous comments from the band that the follow-up to 2013's 'Reflektor' would be released in 'spring 2017'.

Gara told Red Bull Poland that even though he was releasing a solo album in March, he would not be touring it as "From my perspective, it looks like Arcade Fire starts [touring] in April and finishes around April 2019."

He added: "I don’t know where we’re going to play, I don’t know when we start, or when we finish", but that the band had finished recording and are now in the final stages of mixing. "We are still at the stage of mixing and deciding which songs will fit on the record, because we recorded more than we need. But we're almost done."

Arcade Fire have a number of European festival slots lined up for this summer, but no Irish date in sight... could they be on the cards for a return to Electric Picnic? Watch this space...