“Rolling Stones fans received pretty disappointing news earlier this week when word leaked out that tentative dates for a 2026 European tour had been scrapped. "It's hard for their fans," an unnamed spokesperson told The Sun, "but the Stones will get back onstage when they're good and ready."
No formal 2026 tour plans had been announced, but the trek had been in the works for quite some time. Stones fan site IORR reported that a May 25 show at Berlin's Olympic Stadium had been penciled in along with stops in Lisbon, Rotterdam, and Munich. Excited fans were starting to contemplate travel arrangements when IORR founder Bjornulf Vik broke the bad news. "There is no drama, no serious matters reported," he wrote, "it is just that they were not ready to commit to 3+ months of rehearsals and touring next summer in Europe."
Multiple press outlets reported that Keith Richards ultimately made the decision to call off the tour. There's no indication that he's dealing with any sort of health matter, and he looked quite spry last month when he popped up at a Soho Sessions in New York to jam with Mavis Staples and Norah Jones, but he reportedly doesn't feel like touring for reasons that he has yet to articulate publicly.”

“The news was especially devastating because a near-identical situation took place earlier this year when the Rolling Stones called off a 2025 European stadium tour just days before it was set to be announced. By that point, a detailed itinerary had already leaked.
This doesn't mean the world's greatest rock band has called it quits, however. It just means we've entered a new era where their future is murky. Here are some scenarios we can envision, but remember, "You can't always get what you want."

“Scenario 1: The Stones shift entirely to new music.
It's the worst-kept secret in rock that the Stones spent the year working with producer Andrew Watt on a follow-up to their 2023 LP Hackney Diamonds. Nothing has been announced, but it's supposed to arrive sometime in 2026. Just a few years ago, even a single new Stones album was very difficult to imagine since their studio output turned to a trickle after 2005's A Bigger Bang. Nobody guessed they'd spit out back-to-back albums at this point in their career. If their touring days are behind them, there's no reason they can't simply keep going in the studio. Hackney Diamonds was way better than anyone could have reasonably expected. Why not keep it up?"

“Upside: The completely unexpected treat of brand new songs from a band that formed prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis. And if they stick to the Hackney Diamonds formula, they'll likely be excellent.
Downside: The Stones are arguably the greatest live band in rock history. An album will feel very incomplete if there's no opportunity to hear the new songs live."

“Scenario 2: They head to Sphere in Las Vegas.
We have no idea why Richards doesn't feel like touring, but it's possible he simply doesn't want to schlep his body across Europe for months at a time. The Sphere in Las Vegas gives him the opportunity to stay in one place, relax between shows, and play at the most innovative concert venue on the planet."

“Upside: A Rolling Stones Sphere residency would be a major cultural event that would attract fans from all over the world, no matter how much they charged for tickets. Many fans would take out a second mortgage on their homes just to see this show, especially if there were no others.
Downside: Let's overlook the fact that Sphere is very tightly connected to Live Nation, and the Stones usually work with AEG. If both parties want this to work, it would happen. But the Stones have little reason to. Acts like U2, Dead and Co., Backstreet Boys, and the Eagles play back-to-back nights and agree to upwards of 40 shows each. That's basically the only way the Sphere business model truly makes sense. But the Stones require about four days rest between shows, and recent tours have been just about 14 shows. They're also not a band where the visuals are a big focus. Sphere is an amazing place, but it's not meant for the Stones."

“Scenario 3: The Stones take over for Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden.
Billy Joel walked away from his monthly MSG residency last year after a decade of sold-out shows. It was a stunning success that proved major residencies can work outside of Las Vegas. The Stones would be a perfect replacement on the MSG monthly calendar, and it wouldn't require them to create all the visuals they'd need for Sphere."

"Upside: Keith Richards spends much of his time in Connecticut, meaning his monthly commute to work would be pretty easy. He wouldn't have to spend one minute in an airplane or even a hotel. He'd be in his own bed every night. In any give month, he'd have about 728 hours of leisure and two hours of work. And those two hours would be very, very lucrative.
Downside: A Billy Joel concert is very different from a Rolling Stones concert. He can take all sorts of time off, sit down at the piano, and effortlessly pound out those hits. He could do it in his sleep at this point. The Stones require weeks of intense rehearsal, and then it takes several shows before they fall into a tight groove. They can't build that sort of momentum and muscle memory by playing just once a month. A MSG residency seems attractive, but it goes against their nature."

“Scenario 4: Mick Jagger goes solo.
Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Stevie Nicks, and John Fogerty all do quite well on the road even though their iconic bands no longer exist. Mick Jagger is the voice of the Rolling Stones. He's in remarkable shape for his age. He could easily tour simply as "Mick Jagger" and pack venues all across the planet. Yes, his attempt to do this in 1988 with Joe Satriani on guitar didn't go over well with many fans. But that's because the Stones were still viable at that point, and Keith Richards was openly dismissive of the entire effort. It would be very different if Richards has essentially retired, and it was this or nothing."

“Upside: We still get to see Jagger sing "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Gimme Shelter," and "Sympathy for the Devil" every night. Again, it wouldn't be much different than McCartney playing "Helter Skelter" without the Beatles or Nicks trotting out "Rhiannon" on her own. If you have the singer of a famous band still playing the songs, fans happily show up. And this isn't just any singer or any band. He's the singer of the band.
Downside: It's still not the Rolling Stones. It's like eating real cheeseburgers for 63 years, and then moving over to Impossible beef. It just won't go down the same."

"Scenario 5: The Rolling Stones replace Keith Richards.
We know this sounds sacrilegious. But this isn't exactly the original lineup of the Rolling Stones. Brian Jones was fired shortly before his death in 1969, Mick Taylor quit in 1974, Bill Wyman walked out in 1993, and Charlie Watts died in 2021. These were all pretty major losses, but the group carried on each time. If Richards no longer wants to tour and he approves a replacement member like Waddy Wachtel, the band could carry on playing stadiums. It wouldn't be the same, and some fans might stay home in protest, but many would come."

“Upside: The current lineup up of the band with a respectable ringer like Wachtel would put on a very powerful show. Steve Jordan is an incredible drummer, Ron Wood still has all his guitar chops, and Jagger is a force of nature who defies all medical science. The ideal version of the Rolling Stones hasn't existed in a long, long time. We need to live in the world of the possible. And if this is the best Stones still possible, it's better than having no Stones at all, right?
Downside: There has never been a Rolling Stones concert without Keith Richards. He's the heart and soul of the entire operation. If reports are true that he's the reason they called off this tour, they made the right decision. There's no band without Richards. As a wise guitarist from another popular 1960s band once said, all things must pass. If Keith is done with the Stones, their era has passed.

[Editor's note: To be clear, nobody knows what's going to happen in the future. The Stones might release their new album next year, play some promo events, and wind up booking shows in the fall. They might stay dormant until 2027, and then tour the world. Nobody has ever made money betting against Keith Richards, and they shouldn't start now.]”

Excerpt From
“The Rolling Stones Scrapped Their 2026 Tour. Now What?”
Andy Greene
Rolling Stone
[apple.news]
This material may be protected by copyright.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-17 21:44 by NashvilleBlues.

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NashvilleBlues
Sorry if this has already been posted but I saw this on rollingstone.com. They mention iorr.org and BV.

[www.rollingstone.com]

See 3 posts below for article...

I liked this part of the quote: "... unnamed spokesperson told The Sun, “but the Stones will get back onstage when they’re good and ready.”

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DandelionPowderman

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NashvilleBlues
Sorry if this has already been posted but I saw this on rollingstone.com. They mention iorr.org and BV.

[www.rollingstone.com]

See 3 posts below for article...

I liked this part of the quote: "... unnamed spokesperson told The Sun, “but the Stones will get back onstage when they’re good and ready.”

Me too!!

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NashvilleBlues

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DandelionPowderman

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NashvilleBlues
Sorry if this has already been posted but I saw this on rollingstone.com. They mention iorr.org and BV.

[www.rollingstone.com]

See 3 posts below for article...

I liked this part of the quote: "... unnamed spokesperson told The Sun, “but the Stones will get back onstage when they’re good and ready.”

Me too!!

Sounds like AI being the "unnamed spokeperson".

Hard not to be entertained by the Rolling Stone article above. Every scenario BUT the most obvious one which is "they are over 80 and its crazy it hasn't ended already." Obviously we all want them to stay out there, but at some point it really does all have to end. I'm not necessarily saying I want it to be now, but I also didn't really want them to continue on without Charlie even if he approved it. I know the above article is mostly just fantasy, but its also hysterical to think "maybe we plug someone in in place of Keith and they keep doing stadiums." As if Mick Jagger isn't also elderly, despite being in great shape, and needing to stop at some point as well. Its not like they only tour as little as they do because of Keith, so even a plug delays the inevitable a few years? Could be 2, could be 5, and obviously that means something, but its not like these guys are 40 and a plug would work for another 20 years. Hell, its not like they are 60 and this could go for another 20 years.

I in no way revel in it, but it does seem like people are not prepared for the Rolling Stones to cease. I guess I've just been preparing for this since 2014, if not earlier.

At this point, I’d be thrilled to have a new album every year or two than a tour.

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

Mick could get a good band together with Ronnie. Sure they'd be worth hearing. Maybe Ronnie can sing a little too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-17 23:59 by frankotero.

Me, I'm just waiting so patiently
With my woman on the floor
We're just trying to do this jigsaw puzzle
Before it rains anymore

All right, hey, hey, hey, all right, all right

............................ Jigsaw Puzzle - Jagger/Richards



ROCKMAN

Mick has already toured Australia and Japan with a knock-off Keith and Rolling Stones songs, maybe he can repeat that again in Europe if he wants

Hey Vibrolux, thx; summed up nicely. Also thx for sharing the good memories.
One thing I’d like to add is insurance. I believe these tours are sold as packages to promoting companies. There are lots of investments involved and these need to be covered by insurance.
It will get harder and harder to find an insurance company willing to cover the health risk of three seniors, one of whom recently had heart surgery. I picked up signals from somebody who heard from the inner circle that this was the case last time a tour got canceled before this.

But whatever the reason: lots of gratitude for the journey thusfar. I remember being a desperate 14 yo in 1980, convinced I was too late and would never see them play live. Yet it happened in ‘82 and I saw them plenty after that.

I also agree with Dan: some more archive releases would be great, preferably from the Mick Taylor era or early Ron Wood years.
Whatever happens: let’s be glad with what we have!

When Keith Richards just wants to stay at home to relax in 2026 then my guess would be that we got two chances that he will tour with the Stones in 2027: slim or none. There must be something more important going on.

"If you don't c sharp you'll b flat". - Muhammad Ali.

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NilsHolgersson
Mick has already toured Australia and Japan with a knock-off Keith and Rolling Stones songs, maybe he can repeat that again in Europe if he wants

Haha...time for Mick Taylor to come out of retirement ;-)

--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

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georgelicks
[youtube.com]

Charlie says it best in the front part of this interview, how touring might end, I mean-- This link is one of the best interview shows on The Rolling Stones ever produced imho. Love em live, maybe they can rehearse for a great big arena show, and have this chap talk to them-- and play an excellent show_ then put it on Netflix PayperView _ and then complete it with a resale of the new album and a live DVD. They always said, you gotta be 100 percent sure if you're gonna tour -- if Keith isn't sure he's ready, then Mick and Ronnie are with him -- that's the way I like to think about it -- watch this show again, it's true and charming. I wish The Rolling Stones and all their members all the best on whatever they decide to do or not do. What's next, what ever they want, I wish them health, peace, love, and prosperity.

ChrisEvans_RollingStones

but my question is did he really post that on x and can anyone else confirm it if he did


Keith hasnt said a word ..... but many others have



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
but my question is did he really post that on x and can anyone else confirm it if he did


Keith hasnt said a word ..... but many others have

Nothing from Jane Rose or Stones team, this entire thread is a bit of a click bate exercise.

All we know is what BV said at the beginning of the thread, the Stones are not committed right now to a tour.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-18 14:12 by keefriffhards.

NO KEEF NO STONES


ITS THAT DAMN SIMPLE

Things will continue as usual. The only difference is that there will be no more RS tours. The album will be released in the spring. Including the usual PR work around it. RS.com will continue to release the usual stuff. Keith will attend, if he's able to, charity galas in NY from time to time. Jagger will release odd singles from his home studio between constant tourism and celebrity mingling. Wood will continue his artwork between joining different band constellations. Mainly in London. Wyman will turn 90 in 2026.

Well on Facebook someone says Keith struggling with artries

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harlem shuffle
Well on Facebook someone says Keith struggling with artries

Mate it's click bate rubbish, Keith hasn't said anything yet from what i can see.

English media is full of crap too, they get there information from old articles or from posts on places like this, the rest is probably AI generated.

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A spokesperson for The Rolling Stones has confirmed to NME that the reports are true.

[www.nme.com]

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WelshEdge1

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A spokesperson for The Rolling Stones has confirmed to NME that the reports are true.

[www.nme.com]

It's the same article from the Sun.

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harlem shuffle
Well on Facebook someone says Keith struggling with artries

That came from a Variety article, that led people to believe that arthritis is the cause for the cancelled plans.

He played really good just a few weeks ago. This is not because of arthritis.

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umakmehrd
NO KEEF NO STONES


ITS THAT DAMN SIMPLE

I can remember another line:

No Charlie, No Rolling Stones



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-18 14:25 by UrbanSteel.

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DandelionPowderman
He played really good just a few weeks ago. This is not because of arthritis.

They're not listening DP because they want it to be arthritis.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

Just wondering what’s Mick Taylor doing these days?

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harlem shuffle
Well on Facebook someone says Keith struggling with artries

Nothing new. He has been having artries for many years. Sure it is getting worse year by year, but please don't make old info like new info.

Bjornulf

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babyblue
Just wondering what’s Mick Taylor doing these days?

Very off topic comment. There is a separate thread related to Mick Taylor:

Mick Taylor Talk - what's on your mind right now...

Bjornulf