Mick Jagger said he “can’t wait” to take The Rolling Stones back on the road, speaking on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years alongside Ronnie Wood. When asked whether the band would tour again, Jagger said, “I’d love to go on tour, I can’t wait,” before adding, “I don’t think it’s going to be this year. But hopefully it’s going to be as soon as possible.”
The comments carry weight from the 82-year-old frontman, widely regarded as one of rock’s most physically dynamic live performers. Jagger has previously said maintaining his stage presence requires “discipline and a lot of hard work.”
Keith Richards echoes the sentiment
Keith Richards has expressed similar but more cautious optimism. At the band’s album launch in New York City, he told the Associated Press, “Oh, I mean we can talk next year. I mean, possibly, you know, I mean, at the moment, we’re just sort of saying we finished the record, let’s do this.”
Richards has since hinted at a possible return to touring in 2027, with Jagger’s remarks adding weight to that prospect. If the band tours in 2027, questions remain about whether they would headline Glastonbury that year.
They last topped the bill in 2013 in their debut appearance at the festival. Glastonbury organisers have confirmed the next edition will run from June 23 to June 27, 2027.
Why the 2026 tour was canceled
The renewed touring talk follows a previous setback after the band scrapped plans for a 2026 U.K. and European stadium tour due to Richards being unable to “commit.” While never formally announced, touring pianist Chuck Leavell and a spokesperson said the band had nearly completed a new album and intended to tour.
An unnamed American music critic told The Sun, “The Rolling Stones had all the big promoters throwing loads of ideas and dates at them for next summer. 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.” A spokesperson for The Rolling Stones confirmed to NME that the reports were true.
Richards has described his arthritis as “benign” but said it has changed his playing style. “I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that anymore,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it,” he told the BBC in 2023. “Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens.”
A spokesperson for the band previously told The Times, “The Rolling Stones will play when they decide to, not before.”
