Brian May says Queen's touring days are over, and a friend's death is why

Queen will not be going back on the road. Brian May has said in an interview published on 5 October 2026 that he and drummer Roger Taylor made the decision around 18 months ago, and that he does not want to tour again.

May, who is 79, has described the turning point. A close family friend died while the band were playing in the United States, and he told his tour manager he would fly home for a few days and rejoin the tour. He was told that was not possible. That moment, he has said, made him question how much of his life the road was taking.

Why now

May has pointed to his family, including his wife, the actor Anita Dobson, and his grandchildren, plus the astrophysics work he wants more time for. He has framed it as a simple sum: after roughly 50 years of touring, he feels that may be enough.

The most recent run was the Rhapsody Tour, which paired Queen with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert and finished in Tokyo in February 2024. That was the last Queen and Adam Lambert tour date, and nothing new has been announced since.

What might replace it

May has said he is interested in a Queen experience that stays in one place rather than moving between arenas, a venue-style show rather than a tour. He has also said that artificial intelligence complicates those plans. No venue, date or format has been announced, and nothing about it has been officially confirmed by the band.

For fans, the practical reading is clear: do not wait for an announcement of another Queen tour. The catalogue is not going anywhere, though, and Queen's ADMC page will track any new project.