Prince plans 'extended stay' in London with 21-concert series

British fans of Prince will get many chances to see him perform this summer, with the diminutive pop icon announcing on Tuesday his plan to stage 21 concerts in London.

The singer's The Earth Tour is set to begin Aug. 1, but the London concerts will be his only European dates.

Each ticket will cost 31.21 (about $69 Cdn) in a reference to the name of his album 3121 and will come with a free copy of the album.

"Last time I was here, a lot of people didn't get to see me, so we are trying to make it affordable for everybody," Prince said at a news conference in London.

"That's why we are doing such an extended stay."

One week's worth of concerts will take place at London's O2 arena, with others to be scheduled for smaller venues around the city.

The prolific singer, songwriter and musician also intends to draw from his vast repertoire of hits and cover other artists' materials during his U.K. stint. He told the news conference that he has prepared approximately 150 songs for his 21 London concerts.

"There are going to be so many nights here that we are going to change the show every night," he said, hinting that he could cover songs by the Beatles or current British hit-maker Amy Winehouse.

He added that London has hosted some of his favourite shows and he is on the lookout for a place in the city where he will stay for the duration of his concert series.

In the past, the singer has also developed a reputation for turning up with no notice at small bars and musical clubs in cities where he is staying and giving impromptu performances.