After an incredible career that spans over 60 years and includes some of the greatest live performances in rock history, The Who will be retiring from the road with a final series of shows that begins this summer in North America.
The Who held a press conference on Thursday, May 8 to announce “The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour”. The event was live streamed from the Iconic Images gallery in Piccadilly, London.
Pete Townshend was live in the studio with British DJ Claire Sturgess, and Roger Daltrey was televised remotely because his wife was recovering from an injury so he wanted to be at home with her. Included in the studio set props was the original American football helmet that Roger wore on The Who's 1974 Odds and Sods album cover.
At the event, Pete and Roger chatted about touring North America, and reminisced about the important early shows that helped launch their career there in 1967, such as the very first show they played in a high school gym in Ann Arbor, the series of Murray the K shows in New York, and of course the legendary Monterey Pop Festival, which really put them on the cultural map in the US.
Pete Townshend said in an earlier press statement: “Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
Roger Daltrey said: “Every musician’s dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the US charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
When asked at the press conference what songs might be included on tour, Pete joked that they will try to play The Song Is Over (a sentimental ballad from Who’s Next that was part of the Lifehouse story), after having a few issues during their first ever attempt to perform it last March at the benefit show for Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. It was Roger’s idea to name their final tour after it, which is a lovely and apt title to use for this momentous series of shows. While it sounds like the setlist for the tour will mainly contain the usual hits, Pete said they do listen to suggestions from fans for songs they want to include. Hopefully they will add a few more deep cuts to these final shows.
Pete and Roger took a few questions from fans at the end of the event. When asked if there were plans for a final tour in the UK and Europe, Pete said the door is open to the idea, but they both seemed a bit doubtful that would happen. Roger said it was much easier to tour in the US, and the UK made it too difficult to go from A to B. Pete mentioned they had some insurance problems on the last tour that meant they couldn’t play at the more classic venues there, but maybe they could do a week at the O2 or a couple weeks at the Royal Albert Hall. They didn’t talk about touring Europe.
Hopefully if things go well with the North American tour, they will want to continue a bit longer with a few more shows next year, and close out their illustrious career with a run of shows in their home town of London.
The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour is currently scheduled to run for 16 dates between August 16 and September 28, 2025.
Presale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, May 13, and general tickets go on sale Friday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Here is the full lineup of dates that were announced.
Aug 16 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
Aug 19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Aug 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Aug 23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
Aug 26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
Aug 28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
Aug 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sep 02 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep 04 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep 07 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sep 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sep 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sep 21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sep 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
Photo credit: David Stark
Video of full press conference
Video credit: David Stark
Photo credit: David Stark
Photo credit: David Stark
Photo credit: David Stark
