U2 confirm they will headline this year's Glastonbury festival

Guitarist The Edge revealed the Irish group will top the main stage on the Friday night of the iconic event in June, a year after they were forced to pull out due to a back injury to lead singer Bono.

In a video speech played at the Shockwaves NME Awards ceremony in London shortly after Glastonbury was named Best Festival last night (23.02.11) he said: "Congratulations to [organisers] Michael and Emily Eavis and the rest of the team for the continued success of Glastonbury. It's more a way of life than a festival.

"U2 will be playing on June 24. And we're so excited to get to play in front of the world's greatest festival audience. We'll see you there!"

The guitarist also talked about his special guest appearance with rockers Muse at the festival last year, where he joined the band on the main Pyramid stage, saying: "I have to say there is something really special and iconic about that stage. So, we're all looking forward to coming back to pick up where I left off."

2011 will be U2's first ever time performing at the festival, and the group are expected to play the track 'Glastonbury', which they had written especially for their performance last year.

Coldplay and Beyonce have already been confirmed as the other headliners of the event.

Tickets for the festival, which runs from Wednesday 22 to Sunday 26 June, have sold out.