According to IORR.com, the authoritative source for all Stones related news, leaks and long running rumors, the European summer tour that The Rolling Stones were widely believed to be planning has once again been scrapped. This is far from the first time such plans have fallen apart, and as usual, the absence of official communication only fuels further speculation. Health concerns, insurance complications, routing issues or a mix of all three have been cited repeatedly over the years, but the full story almost always remains out of reach.
Over the past decade, Stones touring plans have followed a familiar pattern of momentum and retreat. A European run rumored for 2016 never materialized beyond festival talk, while a more concrete tour outline in 2018 was reshaped and delayed following Mick Jagger’s heart surgery, eventually resurfacing in altered form in 2019. Post pandemic plans for Europe in 2020 and 2021 were abandoned entirely, before the band returned to the road in 2022 with a limited European run. Since then, several summers have sparked renewed rumors, including 2024 and now 2025, only for those plans to quietly dissolve before reaching the announcement stage.
For fans, this latest non event is deeply disappointing. With the principal members now well into their eighties, each lost opportunity inevitably raises the question of whether another full scale tour is still realistic. Residencies or short runs in select cities remain a possibility, but the growing consensus is that the era of long, continent spanning Stones tours may be over.
And yet, it feels premature to close the book. The Rolling Stones invented the modern touring industry. They wrote the template, then spent decades rewriting it. There is no rule that says a band cannot tour at eighty five or beyond. BB King did it. Buddy Guy too. Willie Nelson keeps going. In France, Hugues Aufray is still on the road at 96. Precedent has never meant much where the Stones are concerned.
There is also the matter of a new album. The follow-up to 2023' Hackney Diamonds is still unannounced but widely rumored to be completed and penciled in for an April release. As frustrating as this latest tour cancellation news may be, and it bears repeating that no tour was ever officially announced, it feels unwise to frame this as a final chapter. Call it optimism or stubborn faith, but this does not feel like the end for The Rolling Stones.
Here's a bit of baseless speculation: I think the spring/summer season is already overstuffed and that's the main reason. There have been massive tours announced by huge acts, as well as the World Cup, and the Stones may have wisely decided to back off, as the events market is over-saturated. Had they actually announced their tour a few months ago, then they would have been ok. But as it is, a lot of people have already spent their "concert money" for the summer... Whether it's realistic to keep hoping for a postponement is another thing entirely, but I don't think the reason behind the cancellation is necessarily sinister.
*** UPDATE *** It has been widely reported, though again through no official source, that the tour didn't pan out because Keith Richards didn't feel like he could commit to a four months-long run of stadium shows. This is really bad news, as Keith is the one who is usually gung-ho about live work... So if he's the one feeling like he has to back down, this doesn't bode well for the future.
