European tour dates are announced with Simon and John getting to work promoting them through media in Switzerland and Germany.

A Silent Express is named the support act for the dates in Germany: January 24 at Tonhalle, Munich, January 26 at Haus Auensee, Leipzig, January 28 at Westfalenhalle 2, Dortmund and January 31 at Columbiahalle, Berlin.

The band begin rehearsals for the European dates on January 17th in London.

Duran Duran’s “Girl Panic !” video clears 5 million views on YouTube.

Duran Duran’s first show of 2012 takes places at the Altitude Festival in Klosters, Switzerland on January 21st. Afterwards, the band attend a charity Polo Match on site, followed by a fundraising dinner to benefit the Sentebale charity, with a speech delivered by Annie Lennox. An impromptu rendition of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” by Simon and Dom added to the fundraising effort at the even

John is confirmed for a Q&A at the DLD Conference (Digital Life Design) in Munich. The talk, taking place on January 23rd, will cover Duran Duran’s contributions to both music and technology as well as the HERE RIGHT NOW microsite.

The band launch HERE RIGHT NOW, a partnership between Duran Duran and San Francisco-based Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA) that aims to display people’s ‘Now’ from around the world. A series of word prompts — the first set inspired by words used in “All You Need Is Now” — invites users to submit their vision of the word on a World Globe where people can share their “Now’s”.

Simon and John appear on the German talk show Gottschalk Live Talk Show, with host Thomas Gottschalk, on January 30th.

As part of New York’s Fashion Week, Savoir Beds’ SoHo store re-created the “Girl Panic !” video with models re-enacting scenes from the clip in a replica of a suite at London’s Savoy Hotel in the store window, with the music video shown inside the store.

In February, Roger Taylor is chosen as the first guest curator on Saatchi Online.

On February 12th, John, Simon and Yasmin Le Bon attended the debut Fashion Show for the SkaistTaylor line at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Duran Duran announce their 2012 South American dates:

April 28, Brasilia, Brazil Nilson Nelson

April 30 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Citibank Hall

May 02 Sao Paulo, Brazil Credicard Hall

May 04 Buenos Aires, Argentina Luna Park

May 08 Santiago, Chile Espacio Riesco

John continues to work on his autobiography, spending the last week of February in London meeting with his Editor and attending a reception at Soho House with book sellers.

On February 29, Duran Duran announce the name of their forthcoming DVD, A Diamond in the Mind, Duran Duran – A Performance – 2011, filmed live in Manchester at MEN Arena on December 16, 2011. The film, directed by Gavin Elder, is to be released early Summer, 2012.

The band’s mix engineer, Snake Newton, puts the final touches to the audio for A Diamond in the Mind, which will also be released as a stand-alone CD, as well as being part of a package with the DVD. The whole audio track is then mastered on March 5th at Metropolis in London.

The band kicks off their Pacific Rim tour in Dubai on March 8, 2012. They then play the following dates:

March 10 at Indoor Arena, Singapore — March 12 at Olympic Hall, Seoul, Korea — March 14 at Asia World , Hong Kong — March 17 at BEC, Brisbane, Australia — March 19 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia — March 20 at Adelaide Entertainment Center, Adelaide, Australia — March 24 at Sandalford Estate, Perth, Australia — March 27 at Sydney Entertainment Center, Sydney, Australia — March 31 at Tempus Two Winery, Hunter Valley, Australia.

Two Duran Duran songs, “Hungry like the Wolf” and “Rio,” are featured on the April 10 episode of Glee on Fox.

On Friday, April 13, 2012, Simon visits with the Air Ambulance Service headquarters as part of his new role as an ambassador for the charity. To learn more about the incredible services this charity provides, please visit http://www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk.

Duran Duran announce more European and North American dates:

June 25 Rynek Wroclaw Strefa Kibica, Poland at MUSICART

June 27 Prague, Czech Republic at O2 Arena

June 28 Budapest, Hungary at the Papp László Budapest Sport Arena

July 06 Thessaloniki, Greece at Earth Open Air

July 07 Skopje, Macedonia at Skopsko Kale

July 09 Istanbul, Kucuk at Ciftlik Park

July 12 Novi Sad, Serbia as part of the Exit Festival

July 14 Ljubljana, Slovenia at Krizanke

July 16 Verona, Italy at the Verona Arena

July 18 Rome, Italy at the Foro Italica

July 20 Cattolica, Italy at the Arena Della Regina

July 21 Lucca, Italy at the Piazza Napoleone

August 08 Saratoga, CA at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA

August 09 Saratoga, CA at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA

August 11 Costa Mesa, CA at the Pacific Amphitheatre/OC Fair

August 12 Tuscon, AZ at AVA Amphitheatre/Casino Del Sol

August 15 Tulsa, OK at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

August 17 Memphis, TN at the Memphis Botanical Gardens

August 18 Biloxi, MS at Hard Rock Casino and Resort

August 19 Atlanta, GA at Chastain Par

kAugust 21 Durham, NC at the Durham Performing Arts Center

August 22 Portsmouth, VA at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion

August 24 Mashantucket, CT at MGM Grand at Foxwoods

August 25 Atlantic City, NJ at Revel Ovation Hall

August 26 Pittsburgh,PA at Stage AE

August 28 Kettering, OH at Fraze Pavilion

August 29 Highland Park, IL at the Ravinia Festival

August 31 Orillia, Ontario Canada at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre

September 1 Orillia, Ontario Canada at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre

The UK advert for BT’s Infinity 2 uses a selection of songs from Duran Duran in their new commercial.

At the end of April, Simon, Nick & Roger return to Antigua and the yacht Eilean – the classic boat from the iconic “Rio” video – which has now been fully restored. Eilean competes in the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge, and Simon takes the helm for part of the race.

Duran Duran begin their South American tour in Brasilia on April 28. Simon is joined by Brazilian singer Fernanda Takai for a duet on “Ordinary World.” She then joins them once again on April 30th in Rio De Janeiro.

On May 8, the track listing for the CD & DVD of A Diamond in the Mind is posted online, as well as a release date of July 2, 2012.

Nick participates in a BBC Special called Ziggy Played Guitar. He talks about growing up a Bowie fan and what Ziggy Stardust meant to him.

Roger and Simon complete a full UK Press Day on June 13 with appearances on Sky Sunrise, BBC5 Radio Live, Daybreak and CNN. Simon also appears on the chat show Loose Women. On June 16 Simon is a guest on Radio 4’s Loose Ends.

Warner Music Group/Rhino launches their Single Notes E-Book series which examines music and pop culture. Among the first five releases is Lyndsey Parker’s Careless Memories of Strange Behavior: My Notorious Life as a Duran Duran Fan.

On June 13 the band announce their first ever digital concert premiere on Facebook where they will stream their latest concert DVD, A Diamond In The Mind, on July 8 at 2pm EST with exclusive Audio Commentary and LIVE Q&A to follow. The band will do the Q&A from Istanbul, after a concert performance that evening.

Duran Duran appear on Good Morning America on June 18, performing “Sunrise,” “Girl Panic!” and “All You Need is Now.” The band continue to make promotional appearances in and around the New York area, talking about their upcoming CD & DVD, A Diamond in the Mind. The band speak to People, Daily Beast, FUSE, VH1, ABC News Radio, AOL Spinner, MTV’s House of Style and CNN.

On June 20 Duran Duran is the special surprise guest during DJ Steve Aoki’s set at Terminal 5 in New York City. As part of Trident’s “See What Unfolds” campaign, the band perform “Hungry like the Wolf” [New York Werewolf remix] with Steve, and then do a short set that includes “Wild Boys,” “Girl Panic!,” “Sunrise” and “Notorious.” A video of the collaboration can be seen here.

On June 30, Roger is a guest on BBC Radio 2’s Dave Pearce Show’s Ultimate Anthem portion, where he discusses his favourite dance tracks and what makes each track significant to him.

It is announced that DJ Barthez will be the support for Duran Duran at their show in Istanbul on July 9 at Küçük Çiftlik Park.

It is announced that the band Der Noir will open for Duran Duran at the show in Rome on July 18th at Foro Italico.

On July 6 at the Duran Duran show in Thessaloniki, Greece, the band toast David Bowie’s debut on Top of the Pops 40 years prior by playing “Starman” as part of their encore.

On July 7, the President of the country of Macedonia and his son come to see Duran Duran’s show at Skopsko Kale. President George Ivanov arrives with his son Ivan and meet the band after the show.

A Diamond in the Mind is released in North America on July 10. Amazon.com choose to make the MP3 download of the concert the “Daily Deal” and sell the download for $3.99 for 24 hours.

During the band’s July 12 headlining performance at the Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, Duran Duran are joined onstage by The Gossip’s Beth Ditto during the song, “Notorious.”

Duran Duran perform to a rapturous crowd as part of the BT London Live Opening Ceremony Celebration Concert in Hyde Park on July 27, 2012 to usher in the kick-off of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Taking the stage at 7:55p, the band play “Planet Earth”/”A View to a Kill”/”All You Need is Now”/”The Reflex”/”Girl Panic!”/”Save a Prayer”/”Notorious”/”Ordinary World”/”Sunrise”/”Wild Boys”/”Rio” to an ecstatic audience.

It is announced that singer MNDR will open for the band on several US dates on the last leg of the All You Need is Now world tour.

Duran Duran’s “Hungry like the Wolf (New York Werewolf Mix)” by DJ Steve Aoki is serviced to radio on August 20.

On August 14, the iTunes store in North America adds the film, A Diamond in the Mind.

The Eagle Rock “Duran Duran” store begins to sell not only all the different versions of A Diamond in the Mind, but also makes the audio commentary available that was recorded during the digital premiere on Qello in July.

John Taylor’s In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran is announced for release in the UK on September 13 and North America on October 16. John’s book publishers set up several signings and readings for Pleasure Groove.

The band announce the cancellation of the last five dates of their two year All You Need is Now tour as keyboardist Nick Rhodes becomes ill and is unable to travel. “I feel completely helpless over the situation and all I can do is apologize to our fans,” Rhodes says.

The cancelled shows are:

August 25, 2012 – Revel Ovation Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, USA

August 26, 2012 – Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

August 28, 2012 – Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH, USA

August 29, 2012 – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL, USA

August 31, 2012 – Casino Rama Entertainment Centre, Orillia, Canada

September 1, 2012 – Casino Rama Entertainment Centre, Orillia, Canada

A fan whose specialty is Duran Duran makes an appearance on the UK Game Show Mastermind, airing on BBC2 on Friday, August 31.

John embarks on a UK book tour for In the Pleasure Groove:

September 13, 2012 Leicester Square Theatre, London. Q&A with Tom Sykes

September 18, 2012 The Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University. Q&A with Simon Price

September 19, 2012 The Dancehouse in Manchester. Q&A with Dave Haslam

September 22, 2012 WH Smith Book Sellers, Argyle Street, Glasgow (signing only)

September 26, 2012 The Forum/Toppings Books of Bath. Q&A with Elise Raynor

On September 18, during the In The Pleasure Groove promo tour, John dedicates a Music Suite to Trinity High School in Birmingham, UK, where he was a former student.

John Taylor’s In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran (Little Brown UK) debuts at # 6 in the Sunday Times hardback non-fiction charts the week of September 19, 2012. The book remains at #6 the following week.

Penguin US announce signings and readings for John’s In the Pleasure Groove:

October 16, 2012, Barnes and Noble, Citicorp Center, New York , NY [signing only]

October 16, 2012, 92YTribeca, New York, NY, Q&A with Glenda Bailey. Proceeds benefit Road Recovery

October 18,2012, Bookends Bookstore, Ridgewood, NJ [signing only]

October 21, 2012, Bass Guitar LIVE Event, SIR Studios, Los Angeles, CA

October 24, 2012, Cinespace, Los Angeles, CA, Q&A with Tom Sykes

October 25, 2012, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, Q&A with Barry Walters

October 26,2012, The Scottish Rite Theatre, Austin, TX, Q&A with Margaret Moser

October 29, 2012 Indigo Bookstore, Toronto, Ontario, Q&A with Liz Fromer

October 30, 2012, City Winery Chicago, Chicago, IL, Q&A with Mark Bazer

John makes several media appearances to promote his book in the UK & US, with stops on Sky News, CNN Connect, The Today Show, The Couch, Loose Women, VH1 Big Morning Buzz and more.

In the Pleasure Groove is set for release in Italy on November 21 on Arcana and in Germany in April, 2013 on Hannibal Verlag.

John Taylor’s In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran debuts at #6 on The New York Times Best Seller’s List for the week of November 4, 2012, making him an Internationally best selling author.

On October 31, 2012, Simon Le Bon helps to launch a new Children’s Air Ambulance Service, a helicopter service dedicated to transporting critically ill children and babies.

Simon shaves his beard and keeps his mustache in support of the Movember Movement for men’s health.

On November 8, John goes to Google HQ in California for a “Google Hangout” with fans, streamed live via the band’s Google+ and YouTube pages. He then stays to do an Author Q&A with Google staffers.

John adds two more in store appearance for In the Pleasure Groove: one in Milan on December 7 at Libreria La Feltrinelli and a final UK signing on December 13 at Waterstone’s in Brighton.

Steve Aoki vs Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf New York Werewolf Remix” charts at # 9 on the Musicweek Upfront Club Chart.

The Duran Duran Web Shop launches a special area for their VIP Fan Community members where they can shop exclusively and get additional member discounts.

At the end of November, Nick goes in to the Studio to work on a remix for singer MNDR’s album title track and forthcoming single, “Feed Me Diamonds.”

John appears on the Italian late night television show, Volo In Diretta, to support the Italian release of “In the Pleasure Groove” on December 6, 2012.

Due to high demand, Arcana publishers move John’s in store signing in Milan on December 7 to the larger Magazzini Generali venue.

The Duran Duran World in Second Life holds many events during the year, which include a few visits from Nick, a DJ set from Roger and an in-world reading from In the Pleasure Groove by John. The DD Universe closes out 2012 with a “Lonely In Your Nightmare Before Christmas” Party on December 22.

The band announce via the Year End Katy’s Kafes on their VIP Fan Community that they will once again be working with Mark Ronson and plan to re-group in the Studio in March, 2013.