Madonna's Touring Bitches!

As if bowing at No. 1 in 27 countries around the world with her new critically acclaimed album, Hard Candy, wasn't exciting enough news this week for Madonna fans, Madge just announced the (currently) 27-city European and North American "Sticky & Sweet" tour. She will no doubt announce more cities and fill in extra dates for the ones already announced (she always does -- she played four shows in Chicago for the Confessions tour in 2006). She'll hit Chicago on Oct. 26. Tickets, which range from $55-$350, go on sale Sat. May 17 at 11 a.m. CST through Live Nation and Ticketmaster (believe me, it's worth it to pay the high price -- I sat 14th row on the catwalk that jutted out into the center of the crowd and was 5 feet from her the last time -- surreal!). The tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales on Aug. 23 and will hit Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, London, Paris and elsewhere across the pond before jump starting the U.S. leg Oct. 3 at the Izod (?) Center in E. Rutherford, NJ (wasn't that Giants Stadium?!). Can you stand it? -- Ari