THE second week of December is firming as the window of U2's return to Brisbane, provided Bono bounces, ah... back from surgery.

Moves are under way to get the Irish rock monolith sorted for a Suncorp Stadium assault, the preferred venue after the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre left a bad taste in the group's mouth in 2006.

It's understood police licensing have signed off on the event, however, a well-placed industry insider said U2 management were still awaiting a medical report on Bono's back before locking a date in.

The frontman's slipped disc, injured during rehearsal in Germany in May, has cost his insurance broker more than $18 million, The Sun has reported. This forced the cancellation of the band's "360 Degrees" tour, which had already made them the music world's biggest earners in 2009-10 with $130 million according to Forbes magazine.

It's been widely rumoured the Irish touring juggernaut will restart in Oz, where the lack of AFL and rugby league games over summer make it easier to book stadium dates at short notice.

© 2010 Queensland Newspapers.