On Air Now
The Chris Moyles Show 6:30am - 10am
The oldest Classic Rock bands still touring in 2026
2 January 2026, 10:24 | Updated: 2 January 2026, 15:23
Which of the longest-serving rock 'n' roll acts have dates on the calendar for this year? Radio X takes a look at the itinerary...
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
In rock 'n' roll there's no retirement age... in fact there are a great many bands that are continuing to play some 50 or even 60 years after their first hit.
But who is the oldest? In reverse order, then. here are some of the most experienced bands you'll be able to see performing soon...
-
Mötley Crüe - established 1981
The veteran LA glam rockers prove that there's plenty more of The Dirt to come: 2026 sees the band tour in honour of their 45th year in business and the 20th anniversary of their Carnival Of Sins album. They'll be touring North America in July through to September 2026.
-
Metallica - established 1981
The hardcore metal pioneers continue to tour their 72 Seasons album well into 2026, with high profile shows across Europe in May and June including "no repeat weekends" in Frankfurt (22nd-24th May), Budapest (11th-13th June), Dublin (19th-21st June) and London (3rd-5th July). They also stop off at Glasgow's Hampden Park (25th June) and Principality Stadium in Cardiff (28th June).
-
Guns N'Roses - established 1985
G N'R's Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things Tour wound up in Mexico on 8th November, and a pair of new tracks - Nothin' and Atlas - dropped at the beginnig of December. A new world tour kicks off in Latin America in March and April 2026, followed by some European dates in the summer, including a headline slot at Download Festival. The band then swing back over to North America for the rest of the season, winding up in Atlanta on 19th September.
Guns N'Roses continue to tour in 2026. Picture: Press -
Bon Jovi - established 1983
Jon Bon Jovi announced his Forever Tour, marking 40 years since the release of the album Slippery When Wet. Following an absolute stack of shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, you can catch the show in Edinburgh (28th August), Dublin (30th August) and two nights at Wembley Stadium (4th and 6th September 2026).
-
Def Leppard - established 1977
The British metal legends have a busy 2026, which kicks off with a run at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in February, followed by a summer of big shows. They stop off at Belfast (26th June), Glasgow (28th June), Sheffield (30th June), London (2nd July), Birmingham (2th July) and Manchester (6th July).
-
The B52s - established 1976
The new wave surf-rock icons featuring Katie Pierson, Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Keith Strickland kick off their 50th anniversary year with shows in Lag Vegas in April, before joining Devo on their Cosmic De-Evolution Tour, which stops at London's O2 on 20th June and Manchester's AO Arena on 21st June 2026. The Love Shack stars also have a set at France's Retro C Trop Festival on the calendar for 27th June.
-
The Damned - established 1976
The pioneering British punk band have a new album out in January 2026: I'm Not Like Everybody Else. The line-up of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies and Paul Gray will be playing Manchester on 28th January and a special 50th anniversary show at London's OVO Arena Wembley on 11th April, while stopping off at Bearded Theory Festival on 20th May and Budapest (with Frank Carter and the Sex Pistols) on 20th July 2026.
-
Foreigner - established 1976
The New York rock legends are still demanding to Know What Love Is fifty years after their inception and will be taking their Greatest Hits - in both acoustic and orchestral forms - across North America from February to March, with classic-era singer Lou Gramm joining the band for their April dates. The group will then hit Europe, including shows in Manchester on 18th June and Wembley on 19th June 2026. Then it's back to North America for a joint tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd (see below).
-
Iron Maiden - established 1975
The Run For Your Lives world tour rolls relentlessly onwards into 2026, including an enormoshow at the iconic Knebworth on 11th July. The shows promise a selection of tracks from the band's self-titled 1980 debut to 1992's Fear Of The Dark.
-
Sex Pistols - established 1975
Celebrating 50 years of their infamous date at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976, the punk legends - comprised of Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols, alongside singer Frank Carter - will play Castlefield Bowl on 12th July 2026. The band will also stop off at Isle Of Wight Festival in June, then The Piece Hall Halifax (11th July), Cardiff Castle (1st August)and Scarborough Open Air Theatre (2nd August 2026).
-
Squeeze - established 1974
The much-loved British band - known for songs like Up The Junction and Cool For Cats - head out on a tour with special guest Billy Bragg in November and December 2026.
-
Devo - established 1973
The Akron, Ohio advocates for Devolution will take their Mutate Don't Stagnate tour across North America in April before co-headlining two Cosmic De-Evolution dates at London's O2 on 20th June and Manchester's AO Arena on 21st June 2026. Will this be the final outing of Devo? Maybe not.
-
Eagles: established 1971
There have been numerous line-up changes and the loss of founding member Glenn Frey in 2016, but while their Long Goodbye Tour was meant to wind up in the summer of 2024, the band have shows at the Las Vegas Sphere booked between 23rd January and 28th March, which is absolutely, positively billed as the "Last 2026 Shows".
-
Sparks: established 1971
Obviously, Russell and Ron Mael first met in 1948 when the younger Mael brother was born, but they started their musical career in 1971 as Halfnelson, before renaming themselves Sparks the following year. 2025 saw the release of their 26th album MAD!, followed quickly by the Madder EP in October.
The brothers have a show in Tokyo in for May 2026, then they'll play the Royal Hospital Chelsea on 12th June as a prelude to their support slot for Gorillaz at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 20th June.
MAD! TOUR hits the road this summer, starting in Japan before heading to Europe, in support of Sparks' upcoming album ‘MAD!’.
— S P A R K S (@sparksofficial) January 30, 2025
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 7th in Europe and February 22nd in Japan.
Head to https://t.co/DJ0sZ2S85F for individual show links. pic.twitter.com/vi6cwHsjPs -
ZZ Top - established 1969
Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Elwood Franics (replacing the late Dusty Hill) will be keeping the boogie going from March through to May 2026, before heading to Europe in June with their Big One tour. No UK dates, though!
-
Chicago - established 1967
The classic soft rock band play Las Vegas in February, before trekking across North America throughout the summer on the Windy Cities tour with fellow rockers Styx (established 1972).
-
Lynyrd Skynyrd - established 1964
The Freebird rockers are heading out on the Double Trouble Vision Tour with Foreigner in July and August of 2026.
-
The Beach Boys - established 1961
Death, illness and mental health issues haven’t soured the American Dream and surf seems to be continually up for this legendary act. Veteran member Mike Love and Bruce Johnston lead the current line-up and they have North American shows booked in for January and February, before celebrating 60 years of the timeless album Pet Sounds in the UK with dates in London (14th June), Edinburgh (16th June), Halifax (17th June), Southampton (18th June), Wolverhampton (19th June) and Belfast (21st June).
