The two piano men will again dub their outing the Face 2 Face tour. John and Joel first toured together in 1994, and their most recent outing was a sold-out, 24-date trek in 2003.

"I love touring with Billy," John said in a statement. "I have the greatest respect for him and we're such good friends."

Added Joel: "The great thing about performing with Elton is that he is such a good piano player and that makes me have to dig deep to keep up with him. Not to mention, I've got the best seat in the house--only one piano away from Elton John!"

According to promoters, John and Joel plan to open on twin pianos and trading vocals on a series of duets. A headlining set by each artist with his own band will follow. The shows will end with an encore featuring both headliners and their backing bands.