Alright, folks, buckle up – the rock gods THE WHO are officially retiring their air guitars (well, at least in North America) with a final tour dubbed “The Song Is Over – The North American Farewell Tour”. Because apparently, smashing guitars for six decades straight is finally enough. Full dates below – no FOMO allowed.
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend spilled the beans live from London’s Iconic Images gallery, where they unveiled… wait for it… a vintage American football helmet from their 1974 album “Odds & Sods” (yes, that’s the one the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame briefly “borrowed”). Fun fact: That helmet probably survived more stadium chaos than most NFL teams.
Daltrey got nostalgic: “Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts…” (Cue eye-rolling from every garage band ever.) Meanwhile, Townshend quipped: “All good things must come to an end…” – classic Pete, forever the drama king. Bonus trivia: Their late drummer Keith Moon once drove a car into a pool. Just saying.
Tickets drop May 13 for Citi cardholders and Whooligan fan-clubbers (yes, that’s a real thing), with general sales starting May 16. Pro tip: Join the fan club for a free copy of “Live At The Oval 1971” – aka the gig where they DEFINITELY didn’t break any speakers. Probably.
VIP packages include “pre-show soundchecks” (translation: watch Pete tune his guitar) and autographed posters (no guarantees it’s not a doodle of a smashed amp). Hit up vipnation.com if you’re into that sorta thing.
Let’s recap THE WHO’s greatest hits (the tours, not the songs):
- 1967: Debuted in the U.S. sandwiched between CREAM and SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES (talk about a lineup).
- 1969: Played Woodstock at 5 AM because… why sleep when you can riff?
- 1982: First “farewell” tour. Clearly, farewells expire.
- 2001: Played for firefighters post-9/11 – still one of their grittiest moments.
2025 Tour Dates (aka the “We Promise This Is Goodbye” leg):
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
