The Who announce The Song Is Over farewell tour

The Who’s amazing journey is coming to an end… again. 

In a London press conference on Thursday, the legendary band and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced that they will embark on another farewell tour across North America later this year. 

“Well, all good things must come to an end,” guitarist Pete Townshend said in a press release. “It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal.” 

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The 79-year-old musician noted that he and frontman Roger Daltrey “still carry the banner” for their late bandmates, Keith Moon and John Entwistle, and their passionate fanbase. 

“I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy — the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy,” Townshend continued. “Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love, and laughter. Make sure you join in.”

Named after the band’s seldom-played 1971 track, The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour will kick off in Florida before the group make their way across the U.S. and Canada for the 14-date concert series. They will conclude the tour with a final performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in September. 

“Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever,” Daltrey added in his own statement. “The warmth of the American audiences over the years has been inspirational to me, and reflects the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom!”

He continued, “Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me — this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with the Who has been. Thanks for being there for us, and look forward to seeing you one last time.”

This isn’t the first time the Who have announced a farewell tour. The “Baba O’Riley” group originally retired after completing their first farewell tour back in 1982, but they have since reunited for several tours over the years, including the band’s 50th-anniversary tour in 2015.

Their new tour announcement comes less than a month after the Who parted ways with and then rehired drummer Zak Starkey, the son of the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. 

“He’s not being asked to step down from the Who,” Townshend wrote in a statement at the time. “There have been some communication issues, personal and private, on all sides that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.”

Tickets for The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour will be available for pre-sale through Citi and the Who Fan Club beginning May 13, while general ticketing will not be available until 10:00 a.m local time on May 16. Check the Who’s website for more details.