Roger Daltrey says The Who aren’t finished after last year’s farewell tour—though he also warns the band’s next round of farewell shows won’t begin until 2027, with health issues affecting Pete Townshend and Daltrey’s own recovery.
Roger Daltrey insists there’s no need to mourn The Who just yet.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine published Thursday. May 28. the band’s frontman pushed back against the idea that last year’s farewell tour was the end of the road. Daltrey said the classic rock group still has farewell tours ahead—spanning England. Australia. and the rest of the world—but those plans won’t start until 2027.
He linked the timing to the band’s medical realities. Daltrey said Pete Townshend will “have another knee op. ” putting him “out of action for a long while.” Daltrey also referenced his own health. saying he’s had “a few things to deal with … health-wise” during the downtime. The goal, he said, is to get everything settled and ready “next year.”.
Even with that schedule, Daltrey framed the band’s future as flexible rather than final. He said The Who won’t necessarily stop after the farewell tours. If they receive an invitation, he described being open to performing “if they ‘get invited to do a charity gig or something.’”
But there are clear boundaries. Daltrey said the band doesn’t want to mount another full tour of America. “What I’m trying to say is we are not retired,” he said. “[It’s just that] we don’t want to do another tour of America.”
The timing also sits inside Daltrey’s own plans. He said he has a solo U.S. tour coming later this year and that he wants to keep doing solo shows as long as his body allows. “Voices are voices: They don’t last forever, that’s a fact,” he said. “Mine is incredibly powerful and still is. I’m very lucky to have it there, but equally it might go tomorrow.”.
He added a blunt reminder of how quickly physical limits can change a performer’s calendar, saying that if that “go tomorrow” moment arrives, he “won’t be seeing you in August.”
At 82, Daltrey portrayed his future as measured by capability rather than sentiment. “I’m 82 years old and still got good energy, still can deliver it well. But I can’t do any more than that,” he said. “I can only do my best and whatever happens, happens. If it’s still like this when I’m 90, I’ll still be doing it.”.
The Who Roger Daltrey Pete Townshend farewell tour 2027 Rolling Stone classic rock solo U.S. tour
2027?? I thought the farewell tour meant like done done lol.
Kinda wild they’re still going if Pete needs another knee op. So does that mean they’re gonna skip the U.S. entirely again? Feels like they just keep delaying the inevitable.
Wait so is Roger saying they won’t start the farewell shows til 2027 or that they won’t actually tour til 2027? Either way my brain hurts. Also knee op sounds serious, but maybe they’ll just use backup dancers or something??
I don’t buy the “we aren’t retired” talk, it’s always the same PR. One year it’s farewell, next year it’s charity gigs, then suddenly it’s “just one more tour” in England/Australia. Pete’s knee thing is probably why, but Roger talking about voices not lasting forever… like yeah sure, but I’ve seen bands outlive their hype. If they don’t do another America tour, good, let younger bands have it.