Mars schedules pair of Blaisdell shows

Hawaii-born pop superstar Bruno Mars will return home to Oahu for shows in April, according to a post on his website announcing his 2014 "Moonshine Jungle Tour" concert dates.

Mars will headline back-to-back Blaisdell Arena performances on April 18 and 19, with tickets going on sale Feb. 3. Prices and other details have not been announced.

The Honolulu shows will take place as Mars heads back to the United States from tour stops in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, starting in March.

The concerts will also mark the City and County of Hono­lulu’s official 50th-anniversary celebration of Blaisdell Arena’s first event, the "Million Dollar Party" on April 10, 1964. That concert featured Bobby Rydell, Teddie Randazzo, Jan & Dean, Johnny Crawford and Paul Revere & the Raiders.

"It was a maybe up until his people decided to announce it," said city spokes­man Jesse Broder Van Dyke. "We’re very lucky Bruno has aloha for Hawaii and has decided to come."

Before he heads back out on tour, Mars will entertain a worldwide audience when he performs during the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2.

Mars’ most recent Hono­lulu performance was in 2010.