The veteran band has helped to collate dozens of items from their past, including instruments, letters, posters, stage set designs, personal diaries, and audio and video tracks for the special project, titled Exhibitionism.

It will consist of nine themed displays and will launch at London's Saatchi Gallery in April (16), where it will remain in residence for around six months before moving to 11 other cities around the world over the following four years.

Singer Sir Mick Jagger says, "We've been thinking about this for quite a long time but we wanted it to be just right and on a large scale. The process has been like planning our touring concert productions and I think that right now it's an interesting time to do it."

Guitarist Keith Richards adds, "While this is about the Rolling Stones, it's not necessarily only just about the members of the band. It's also about all the paraphernalia and technology associated with a group like us, and it's this, as well as the instruments that have passed through our hands over the years, that should make the exhibition really interesting."