Biggest tours of 2026, including Rush, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo

Every year since the waning pandemic signaled a safe return to gathering en masse at concerts, the concert industry has crowed about record ticket sales.

Now a few years removed from the “pent-up demand” anecdotes, artists are still adding dates to make money the only way they can and consumers are still shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars for tickets – grousing but doing it anyway.

No streaming service can substitute for live music and performers would be stupid not to capitalize on fans willing to forsake a rent payment for the joy of breathing the same air for two hours.

As 2026 kicks in, there are some surefire ticket stampedes (the returns of BTS, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo and Bruno Mars) and the usual arrays of hellos (greetings, Olivia Dean) and goodbyes (Journey, solid to the end).

Here’s what you need to know about some of the most anticipated tours in 2026:

Journey

Dates: Feb. 28 (Hershey, Pennsylvania) – Nov. 28 (San Francisco). More here.

What to know: The classic rock vets have packed stadiums and arenas for more than five decades and are billing this Final Frontier Tour as a goodbye to touring (insert “Don’t Stop Believin’” plea from fans). An all-new stage production accompanies the shows in 60 cities across North America for the first leg, which wraps in July, and a 40-date addition that will end in the band's hometown.  

Read the review of their Washington, D.C. concert.

Zach Bryan

Dates: March 7 (St. Louis) - Oct. 10 (Auburn, Alabama). More here.

What to know: Following the recent release of his sixth album, “With Heaven on Top,” the alt-country singer-songwriter will launch another slate of stadium shows to promote the 25-song effort. He’s also tapped a heady supporting cast: Kings of Leon and Ben Howard, Alabama Shakes and Caamp.

Bruno Mars

Dates: April 10 (Las Vegas) – Oct. 17 (Vancouver). More here.

What to know: While he hasn’t headlined a tour since 2017, the song-and-dance man has hardly been idle. He's helmed a popular Vegas residency and club opening as well as moonlighting with Silk Sonic and appearing on hits with Lady Gaga and Rosé. His grand return for The Romantic Tour – his fourth album, “The Romantic,” arrived Feb. 27 – will play nearly 70 stadium shows across North America and Europe and was met with instant sellouts. His Silk Sonic collaborator Anderson .Paak joins all shows as DJ Pee .Wee, with additional support from Victoria Monét, RAYE, and Leon Thomas on varying dates.

Read the review of opening night of the tour in Las Vegas.

BTS

Dates: April 25 (Tampa) - Sept. 6 (Los Angeles). More here.

What to know: The effervescent ska-punk of the “Tragic Kingdom” quartet will meld with the remarkable technology at Sphere Las Vegas for what is sure to be a colorful show. Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young have 18 performances set at the venue to host their cache of ‘90s and ‘00s smashes.  

Alex Warren

Dates: May 25 (Nashville) - July 28 (Cheyenne, Wyoming). More here.

What to know: The voice behind the ubiquitous “Ordinary” released his full-length debut album, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid,” in July (with Jelly Roll and Rosé popping on a couple of songs). He’ll parlay his burgeoning success on his Little Orphan Alex Live tour with a run of 28 North American amphitheaters and arenas.

5 Seconds of Summer

Dates: May 29 (Uncasville, Connecticut) - Aug. 28 (Mountain View, California). More here.

What to know: The Australian pop-rockers show their sense of humor on new album “Everyone’s a Star!” with the single “Boyband.” They’ll take their polished riffs to Europe in the early part of the year before hitting more than three dozen arenas and amphitheaters in North America.

Rosalía 

Dates: June 4 (Miami) - July 3 (San Diego). More here.

What to know: The global superstar broke through in a major way with “LUX,” her fourth full-length album released in November featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, Björk, Carminho and Estrella Morente, among others. Her LUX Tour 2026 will play 42 arena shows in 17 countries.  

Ariana Grande

Dates: June 6 (Oakland, California) – Aug. 6 (Chicago). More here.

What to know: It’s a long way from “Wicked” as Grande embarks on her first tour in six years. The album she’s ostensibly supporting, “Eternal Sunshine,” arrived in March 2024, but Grande spent the last couple of years exploring her acting interests and hinted that she will return to that path following this excursion.

Read the review of her Oakland, California, tour kickoff.

Rush

Dates: June 7 (Los Angeles) – Dec. 17 (Vancouver). More here.

What to know: Even Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were surprised at the demand that met the first seven cities they announced on their Fifty Something tour, their first since 2015. Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Neil Peart died in 2020, but the Canadian rockers will be joined by Anika Nilles behind the kit.

Read the review of their Los Angeles tour kickoff.

Ed Sheeran

Dates: June 13 (Glendale, Arizona) – Nov. 7 (Tampa). More here.

What to know: Following a spate of shows in Australia and South America, the affable Sheeran will land in North America for a stadium run. Sheeran is rocking a pink-hued motif for the tour in support of his eighth studio album, “Play,” which spawned the hits “Azizam,” “Sapphire” and “Camera.”

Read the review of his Phoenix tour kickoff.

Usher and Chris Brown

Dates: June 26 (Denver) - Dec. 12 (Tampa). More here.

What to know: The powerhouse performers are combining superpowers for the simply named The R&B Tour. The pair will play 40 stadium dates and pull from their equally robust catalogs. Both artists recently wrapped other major outings - Brown with his Breezy Bowl XX World Tour and Usher with his Past, Present, Future run.

Bon Jovi

Dates: July 7-26 (New York). More here.

What to know: Jon Bon Jovi was extremely candid in the band’s fulfilling Hulu documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” about the devastating vocal cord issues that robbed him of his singing voice. But following surgery and intensive rehab, one of rock’s greatest frontmen and the rest of his Jersey boys are ready to rock again with a nine-show residency at Madison Square Garden before heading to Ireland and the U.K. for another handful of shows.

Olivia Dean

Dates: July 10 (San Francisco) – Aug. 29 (Austin, Texas). More here.

What to know: It’s been quite the whirlwind year for the young London native, whose second album, “The Art of Loving,” earned her a best new artist Grammy nomination and commandeered radio with the soulful pop of “Man I Need” and “Nice to Each Other.” Her The Art of Loving Live tour is her most ambitious as she plays all arenas for the first time.

Motley Crue

Dates: July 17 (Burgettstown, Pennsylvania) – Sept. 26 (Ridgefield, Washington). More here.

What to know: Two decades after streamrolling through venues with their Carnival of Sins tour, Motley Crue is resurrecting the explosive production for its 20^th anniversary as well as the 45^th anniversary of the band. The Return of the Carnival of Sins – featuring updated staging and set lists – will hit 33 cities with Tesla and Extreme in tow.

Guns N' Roses

Dates: July 24 (Raleigh, North Carolina) – Aug. 22 (Las Vegas). More here.

What to know: The band – Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Isaac Carpenter and Melissa Reese – have returned to their road warrior ways following a 2025 world tour and a 2026 that finds them roaring through South America and Europe before journeying to North America. Among GNR’s dates is a Sept. 5 return to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, their first time playing the stadium in more than 30 years.   

Foo Fighters

Dates: Aug. 4 (Toronto) – Sept. 26 (Las Vegas). More here.

What to know: Their last stadium tour, the 2023-24 Everything or Nothing at All run, sold out stadiums worldwide. The Foos – Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee and Ilan Rubin – will go another round in 12 (for now, they say) North American cities this summer. Queens of the Stone Age will open all dates except Sept. 12 in Fargo, North Dakota.

My Chemical Romance

Dates: Aug. 9 (New York) – Oct. 31 (Hollywood, California). More here.

What to know: The celebration continues for the emo-punk-rockers, who last year kickstarted an anniversary tour to revisit their standout 2006 rock opera, “The Black Parade.” Skits and costumes are prevalent as the band – Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Mikey Way and Frank Iero – tears through their landmark album in full before a second set of ragers.

Harry Styles

Dates: Aug. 26- Oct. 31. More here.

What to know: The pop superstar will bring fans Together, Together during his seven-city worldwide residency, including 30 shows at Madison Square Garden. Styles will also hit Amsterdam, London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne and Sydney from May through December with guests Robyn, Shania Twain, Fcukers, Jorja Smith, Jamie xx (in New York), Fousheé, and Skye Newman. He dropped his new album, "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally," March 6.

Read the review of his Amsterdam tour kickoff.

Lily Allen

Dates: Sept. 3 (New York) – Sept. 25 (Los Angeles). More here.

What to know: Following a sellout run of theaters in the spring, the forthright British songbird, who hasn’t toured North America since 2018, returns with a bigger splash this fall. Allen's front-to-back presentation of her biting "West End Girl" album is a marvel - and one of the boldest spotlights we've seen on romantic betrayal.

Read the review of her Washington, D.C. show.

Olivia Rodrigo

Dates: Sept. 25 (Hartford, Connecticut) - Feb. 16, 2027 (Brooklyn). More here.

What to know: The pop phenom will be supporting her third album, "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love," with her second headlining arena tour. Rodrigo will play multiple shows in cities including Las Vegas, Atlanta, Nashville with support from Devon Again, Die Spitz, Grace Ives, The Last Dinner Party, and Wolf Alice.

The Chicks

Dates: Sept. 30 (Detroit) - Nov. 2 (Hollywood, California). More here.

What to know: The trio of Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer are taking a victory lap for the 20th anniversary of their Grammy Award-gobbling "Taking the Long Way" album. The album, released at the height of controversy surrounding the band (Maines publicly criticized then-President George W. Bush about the war in Iraq), remains a touchstone and its lead single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," a resounding stance of defiance.