The Who announce North America farewell tour: Final shows set for summer 2025
FILE - (L-R) Singer Roger Daltrey, touring drummer Zak Starkey and guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who perform on the first night of the band's residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on July 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The Who, one of rock’s most legendary bands, will take the stage for what they say is their final tour across North America this summer.
The band announced Thursday that "The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour" will begin August 16 in Florida and end September 28 in Las Vegas, with stops in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto.
Why is The Who calling it quits?
What they're saying:
Roger Daltrey, 81, and Pete Townshend, 79, are the last surviving members of the original band lineup. In the tour announcement, Daltrey said the band’s dream of breaking into the U.S. market came true in 1967 and changed their lives forever.
"Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts," Daltrey said. "For The Who, that dream came true… and our lives were changed forever."
Townshend added: "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." He also acknowledged the emotional weight of the tour, saying, "Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle."
Where and when is The Who’s final tour happening?
Timeline:
The farewell tour begins August 16 in Florida. The band will perform in cities across North America throughout the summer, wrapping up with a final performance in Las Vegas on September 28.
Presale tickets will be available starting May 13, with general ticket sales beginning May 16.
What songs can fans expect on the tour?
The backstory:
The tour is named after The Who’s 1971 song "The Song Is Over" and will feature hits from their six-decade catalog. That includes iconic tracks like "My Generation," "Baba O’Reilly," and "Won’t Get Fooled Again."
The band’s albums Tommy and Quadrophenia were adapted into films and remain two of their most influential works. Daltrey and Townshend have performed those albums in full during past tours.
Will there be a UK farewell tour?
What's next:
As of now, the band says no UK farewell tour is planned. Daltrey was cautious, telling the Associated Press, "I don’t want to say that there won’t be [a U.K. farewell tour], but equally I’m not confident in saying there will be."
He added that a throat specialist advised him to take a day off after every performance, making future tour planning more complicated.
Why you should care:
This farewell tour marks the end of an era in rock music. The Who’s influence spans generations, from stadium anthems to operatic rock narratives. For fans across the U.S. and Canada, this may be the last opportunity to see one of rock’s most iconic duos live on stage.
The Source: This article is based on reporting by the Associated Press. All quotes and information about tour dates, band history, and statements from Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are attributed to the AP report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.