Are you ready for some more Girl Power? All five Spice Girls appeared in public together for the first time in six years today as they announced an 11-date, eight-country world tour.

The tour will take in the USA, Britain, Germany, Spain, China, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. To register for tickets go to www.thespicegirls.com

Straddling Christmas, the tour will begin in Posh Spice Victoria Beckham’s new home Los Angeles on December 7, before visiting Las Vegas, New York City, London, Cologne, Madrid, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires.

They will appear in London on December 15. Extra dates may be added.

The Nineties girl group, who parted ways in 2001, said they would not be performing at this weekend's Concert for Diana.

Princes William and Harry were said to have asked them to attend the anniversary event but the band said they could not take to the stage so soon because Baby Spice Emma Bunton is heavily pregnant.

Melanie Chisholm said: "We would have loved to be there this weekend. It's just unfortunate timing."

At a packed press conference at London’s 02 arena, formerly the Millennium Dome, the band were introduced by “Old Spice” Richard E Grant, who promised that the Spice Girls would “bring some colour back to your lives.”

In a typically tongue-in-cheek half hour of banter with the press, the band promised a tour featuring “five girls, lights, dancing, the dark side of the Spice Girls and topless dancing”.

The group stressed that unlike Take That, their comeback tour show will be truly international.

“The thing that was different about the Spice Girls is that we were truly global” said Chisholm.

Looking relaxed and clearly enjoying themselves enormously, there were few signs of tension until Geri Halliwell promised to be “on my best behaviour” and Beckham responded with a heavily loaded “or else”.

Explore Music

• CD Reviews

• Live Reviews

• Classical

Editor's choice

• The 100 Best Films of the Decade
• 70 facts you didn't know about Marvel
• The 50 Biggest Movies Of 2010