LONDON (AP) — After 61 years, rock legends The Who announced they will embark on their final tour in North America this August and September. The farewell tour, named after their 1971 song “The Song is Over,” was unveiled Thursday by guitarist Pete Townshend during a press conference in London, with singer Roger Daltrey joining via video link.
The tour will kick off in Newark, New Jersey, on Aug. 19 and will include stops in major cities such as New York City, Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles. The band has not announced any additional shows outside the U.S. and Canada.
Tickets for the tour will be available to members of The Who Fan Club starting May 13, with further presales throughout the week before the general sale begins on May 16 at 10 a.m. local time.
“Well, all good things must come to an end,” Townshend said in a statement. “It is a poignant time. Playing to American and Canadian audiences has always been incredible.”
Daltrey added, “Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts. For The Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever.”
The Who formed as The Detours in 1962, officially becoming The Who in 1964 with the addition of drummer Keith Moon. They first toured the U.S. in 1967 to support their third album, “The Who Sell Out,” and gained fame with rock operas such as “Tommy” (1969) and “Quadrophenia” (1973). Their live album “Live at Leeds” (1970) is considered a landmark in rock music.
This is not the first time The Who has announced a farewell tour. In 1982, they concluded a run of shows in the U.K. and North America and released a live album, “Who’s Last.” They reunited for performances at Live Aid in 1985 and 1988, and for a 50-show tour in 1989.
In 2015, The Who celebrated their 50th anniversary with a tour dubbed a “long goodbye,” performing 70 shows across Europe, North America, and Asia. From 2019 to 2021, they toured in support of their album “WHO.”
The announcement follows a recent concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall where drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, was briefly dismissed from the group but later reinstated.
The Who “The Song is Over” North American Tour Dates:
– 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 Health at Jones Beach Theater
– Aug. 30 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
– Sept. 2 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
– Sept. 4 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
– Sept. 7 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
– Sept. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
– Sept. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
– Sept. 21 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
– Sept. 23 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
– Sept. 25 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
– Sept. 28 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
