Jay-Z has agreed to be a special guest on U2's upcoming Australian 360 Degrees tour.

The rapper will take to the stage for about an hour before the Irish band fronted by Bono performs in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Auckland in New Zealand.

The band's manager Paul McGuinness explained, "It was important to the band that we were able to bring the whole 360 Degrees production to Australia and New Zealand so fans could experience the latest of U2's legendary productions."

The tour is set to take place in December this year.