Photo Credit: Jim Pietryga / CC by 3.0
The Rolling Stones have nixed plans for their UK and European stadium tour in 2026, with 82-year-old Keith Richards bowing out.
The Rolling Stones had been hinting for months at a series of live stadium shows in the UK and Europe next year. But now, those plans won’t be coming to fruition, as Keith Richards has reportedly been unable to commit to the grueling schedule.
According to initial reports from The Sun, during a recent interview with an unspecified American critic, the 82-year-old Richards expressed that he didn’t feel up to another leg of the tour.
“The Rolling Stones had all the big promoters throwing loads of ideas and dates at them for next summer,” they said. “But when they properly sat down to discuss the tour, Keith said he didn’t think he could commit and wasn’t keen on a big stadium tour for over four months.”
Since then, a spokesperson for the band has confirmed that these reports are accurate.
“The band were looking to tour earlier this year but couldn’t make it work either,” added the spokesperson. “It’s hard for their fans, but The Stones will get back onstage when they’re good and ready.”
Had the UK and European gigs panned out for 2026, they would have been the first tour dates from the band since their Hackney Diamonds run in the U.S. in 2024. Those shows sold nearly a million tickets across just 20 dates, generating around $235 million and making it the #6 highest-grossing music tour that year.
The Stones haven’t played in the UK since 2022, when they played two major Hyde Park gigs to cap off a stadium show at Anfield in Liverpool. The band is also rumored to have started working on new material during the summer; in September, producer Andrew Watt revealed he had been working with The Stones to help make another album, which is expected to drop sometime next year.
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