Will Smith announces summer tour with dates in England and Wales

US movie star and musician Will Smith has announced a summer tour that includes dates in England and Wales.

The rapper and actor, 56, will play songs from his forthcoming album, Based On A True Story, his first full-length album in 20 years after 2005’s Lost And Found.

In an Instagram post, he said: “I’M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!!

“We’re hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises 😉 All these years, I’ve NEVER done a headline tour and I can’t wait to see you guys!!”

The tour, which will also see him perform hits such as Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It and Miami, lands in England on August 24 with a date at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.

This will be followed with a gig at Cardiff’s Bute Park on August 25 and a concert at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse on August 27.

There is a date at London’s Brixton Academy the day after and a final gig at University of Wolverhampton at the Halls on August 30.

The tour mainly comprises European festivals, with Smith also playing at the Moroccan festival Mawazine in Rabat.

Smith gained recognition in American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince who released Grammy-winning single Parents Just Don’t Understand.

In the 1990s, he starred in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air about a fictionalised version of himself, born and raised in West Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle in Los Angeles.

His debut solo album, Big Willie Smith, was released in 1997 and included the hit song Men In Black, which accompanied the film of the same name and peaked at number one in the UK singles chart.

Across his career, Smith has starred in dozens of films including The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and Suicide Squad (2016).

In January, he released track Beautiful Scars, featuring rapper Big Sean, as well as a music video where they re-enacted a scene from 1999 science fiction film The Matrix.

He has released a handful of other singles that will all feature on his new album, including Tantrum with Joyner Lucas, You Can Make It featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, and Work Of Art, which was a collaboration with rapper Russ, featuring his son Jaden.

Tickets for his Based On A True Story summer tour go on sale Friday March 21 at 10am.

His album will be released on March 28.