THEY are one of the greatest rock bands of their time, and today The Rolling Stones have unveiled The Vaccines will open for them when they play at St Mary’s Stadium on May 29.

Fans at St Mary’s will be treated to a special performance from English indie rock band, The Vaccines, whose new single is titled Rolling Stones.

“The Rolling Stones are one of our favourite bands,” they said. “We love them so much we named a song after them.

“At their best they are unparalleled, and few artists will go down in history for being as good for as long.

“Supporting them in Hyde Park in 2013 was a career defining moment for our band and we have no doubt that playing with them in Southampton, at the stadium I visited every week as a boy, will be just as special.”

The Rolling Stones return to Southampton with their No Filter tour, 55 years after they first played at Southampton’s Gaumont, now better known as The Mayflower theatre - the following year they had their first number one, It’s All Over Now, and returned to Southampton on October 4, 1964.

In 2007 the band brought the Isle of Wight Festival to a rip-roaring climax, in front of a crowd of 50,000.

The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

Tickets are still available for the tour, which will see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood back on the road, continuing on from their hugely successful sold out European tour last year.

For more information, head to www.rollingstones.com.