Five key takeaways from The Who’s farewell tour press conference
At a press conference in Central London on May 8th, The Who announced plans for a farewell tour in North America later this year.
They chose to reveal the news to a buzzing room of press and cameras, in London’s Iconic Gallery in Piccadilly. Only guitarist and songwriter Townshend attended in person, as vocalist Roger Daltrey joined from Zoom due to his wife recovering from a recent accident. The rock legends talked all things heartfelt goodbyes for over half an hour, alongside a great dose of nostalgia.
The set of dates will take place across August and September. Notable stops on the road include visits to iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Fenway Park in Boston.
They’ll play their final date on September 28th in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Ahead of the lengthy tour, which will celebrate their 60-plus years in the rock business, Daltrey and Townshend reflected on their pioneering career to date and explained why they are planning to leave The Who in the past.
The Who’s special relationship with America
If the red and blue collage of old tour photos acting as the stage backdrop wasn’t enough for prying eyes to tell, Pete Townshend rocking an American flag around his shoulders as he appeared before the crowd should be. The Who love America, and America loves The Who.
Discussing the significance of Woodstock on their journey, Townshend reflected on the fans they made along the way. “It’s fair to say our strongest audience is New York based.” Due to this connection, they were “indoctrinated into the way that American music fans were different to the UK music fans and the European music fans. [American fans] really, really, really listened.” This led to “a sense that something else was going on, that it was a much more intimate relationship.”
Despite this strong bond, the rockers hail from England and were sure to remind those in the room of their heritage. “We’ve got to remember where we come from,” Daltery confessed, “We were post-war England, the land of jam and spam sandwiches. Everybody’s dream was to make it successfully in America. That was where we first heard the pulses of rock coming from.”
The Who explain ‘The Song Is Over’ tour name
‘The Song Is Over’ is the title of a beloved Who’s Next deep cut, and Daltrey chose it as the name for their upcoming farewell tour, which Townshend commended him for, stating, “Roger always comes up with really great names for tours. But I think that this, this one is rather poignant. It’s from the Lost Life House Project.”
Despite its release 54 years ago, the duo are still learning to perfect the song live, indicative of a classic band always in formation.
On a similar note, Townshend explained they can’t take requests from the crowd because he must learn the songs and exert maximum effort to avoid making a simple mistake. “Time passes as you get older. It passes faster and faster and faster until you find yourself here, a point where you have to accept that you can’t do what you used to,” Townshend reflected, holding open hands up to the crowd.
The one song Daltrey and Townshend want to be remembered for
Townshend responded quickly when asked what The Who song they would like to be remembered by from an online fan. ‘Love Rain on Me‘, he stated confidently, taking only half a second to consider. Given his extensive discography, it’s an impressive show of certainty and highlights his strong personal connection to the track.
Daltery faltered, musing on the screen. Townshend encouraged his answer, insisting, “[Robert] does a very good job on Love Rain On Me.” But the vocalist was less happy to commit. “I like them all, I can’t pick one,” he insisted. A notable pause made him finally admit that his long-time collaborator may be right. “Love Rain on Me’, or ‘Behind Blue Eyes’,” he eventually decided.
No mention of Zak Starkey despite recent saga
The Who have always been shrouded in some level of adversity, confusion, chaos, or calamity. If it wasn’t publicly aired bickering between the frontman and the guitarist, or the tragic losses of Keith Moon and John Entwistle, it was their latest performances at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2025.
When referencing the last time they attempted to play ‘This Song Is Over’ live at the recent Teenage Cancer Trust gigs, songwriter Townshend admitted, “We forgot that we’d cut it, so it turned out to be a bit of a disaster.”
Sure, they had to stop the song. The use of the word “disaster” also acknowledged the unhappy consequence of their on-stage struggle, where the world, and Zak Starkey himself, presumed the drummer of 29 years had been fired from the band before The Who confirmed he was still an active member. However, this was the closest to a mention of the situation involving Starkey, who is expected to be behind the drum kit for the farewell tour.
The Who may or may not play in the UK again
The Who have been no stranger to farewell tours. In 1982, they set out on their first, before eventually reuniting on a permanent basis in 1996 after a number of one-off appearances, such as Live Aid. Last year, Townshend alluded to another farewell tour when he said: “I do and I think I will. It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do, and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die.”
Despite their familiarity with the concept, the band don’t seem to be sure whether this will be their last run of dates. Following the incessant talk of the charm of American audiences, Daltrey was asked whether they would be bidding the UK and Europe farewell, too. “I don’t mean to say there won’t be, but I’m equally not confident saying there will be.”
Daltrey was anxious to commit to a UK and Europe iteration of the tour because of their physical health. The logistics take a toll on the musicians, both circling 80 years old. He also explained that touring in the US and UK is different. “The UK has decided to make it as difficult as possible to go from A to B. And in America, you seem to want to make it as easy as possible,” he explained. “Let’s see if we survive this one!” Daltery joked, leaving the possibility of returning to their homeland an open door that leads to a somewhat murky future.
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