The Rolling Stones have called off plans for a 2026 stadium tour in the UK and Europe after Keith Richards was unwilling to “commit” to the rigorous schedule. The Sun first reported the news, which Variety and NME have now confirmed.
Richards, who turns 82 this Thursday, spoke to BBC in 2023 about dealing with arthritis and how it “no doubt” has forced a change in his playing style.
“I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version,” he said at the time. “And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens.”
Despite these challenges, the Stones embarked on a 20-date stadium tour in 2024 behind their Grammy-winning comeback album, Hackney Diamonds.
In its report, The Sun said Richards was unwilling to commit to another major stadium tour in 2026.
Though the tour has been scrapped, it appears the Stones’ second album with producer Andrew Watt is still on track for 2026. In an interview with Rolling Stone published this past September, Watt confirmed he was overseeing the project.
