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Legendary crooner Neil Diamond will embark on a massive 25-date arena tour next summer that will take the “Sweet Caroline” singer around North America in celebration of a new greatest hits collection that also is on the way. The tour will kick off at the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and will continue through September 1, when Diamond concludes the tour at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In between that time, he will hit such major cities as Atlanta, Washington, Boston, Toronto, Chicago and Seattle, among many others.

The Very Best of Neil Diamond – The Original Studio Recordings is the new greatest hits compilation, and will contain 23 classic Diamond songs including “I’m a Believer,” “America,” “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” “Red, Red Wine” and the aforementioned “Sweet Caroline.” The record will be released on December 6 by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. Diamond will make a string of appearances to mark the release of the album, including performances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the “Today Show,” and the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

In other news, after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year along with other veteran artists like Tom Waits and Alice Cooper, Diamond will be a 2011 Kennedy Center Honoree. The Kennedy Center Honors have been issued since 1978 for lifetime contributions to the American arts. Others that will be honored at this year’s event include Meryl Streep, Yo-Yo Ma, Sonny Rollins and Barbara Cook.

Diamond has two other concert dates planned between now and the start of the summer tour, both of which will be held at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 16 and 18. At the summer shows, Diamond promises to play all of his classic and signature songs in honor of the greatest hits package.