Recommendations of the Editorial team
The news is likely to disappoint many fans: Although the Rolling Stones will soon be releasing their new album entitled “Foreign Tongues”, fans of the band will apparently have to wait at least until 2027 for an accompanying tour. Keith Richards made it clear in an interview with the AP news agency that no concerts were planned for 2026.
“We can talk about it next year,” Richards said. At the moment the band has finished the album and is now thinking about what to do next. “Soon,” said Richards, “but not this year.”
In doing so, the guitarist indirectly confirms reports from last fall that an already planned tour had been scrapped. It was said at the time that Richards had reservations about taking on the physical demands of a large concert schedule again. That wouldn’t be surprising. Richards will be 83 years old in 2026, Mick Jagger 83, Ronnie Wood 79.
The Rolling Stones no longer have to prove anything to anyone
The fact that one of the biggest rock bands in history continues to produce new music has long since bordered on an exceptional phenomenon in pop culture. That’s why the situation alone seems remarkable: The Rolling Stones are apparently releasing a new studio album without automatically following up with the usual gigantic stadium tour.
For decades, this combination was part of the band’s self-image. New record meant new world tour, new records, new images of sold-out arenas and monumental stage productions. The “Hackney Diamonds” tour showed how much the Stones could continue to function as a live machine.
Meanwhile, another question inevitably arises: How long can this model be maintained? A world tour means months of travel, rehearsals, flights and performances every two or three days. Even for much younger artists, this is a feat of strength. For musicians over 80, every tour automatically becomes a health and organizational challenge.
“Foreign Tongues” appears at a different phase in the band’s history
The fact that Keith Richards is struggling with another mammoth tour fits with the Rolling Stones’ current position. The band no longer has to prove to anyone that they can fill stadiums. Their status has long been unassailable. Perhaps for the first time, this means that an album no longer has to be combined with a global concert marathon.
