Credit: Danny Clinch

Foo Fighters cancelled plans for 2025 tour, festival owner reveals

Wed 11 December 2024 10:46, UK

Foo Fighters have cancelled their plans for a 2025 tour, according to the founder and director of the French rock festival Hellfest.

The festival recently announced its latest lineup, which includes headliners Muse, Korn, Linkin Park, and Scorpions. Other acts set to perform at the event in 2025 include Cypress Hill, Cult, Refused, Judas Priest, Turnstile, the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter, The Damned, Eagles of Death Metal and Soft Play.

One booking which has raised eyebrows is Muse, as they are not a traditional heavy band. During an interview, festival owner Ben Barbaud was asked to explain the decision behind the booking of the English band for next year, leading him to explain Muse were brought in as a replacement for Foo Fighters, who had been cancelling their entire 2025 tour.

“They were offered to me on a platter. A month ago, I was offered to program them with a handful of other European festivals,” he told Le Parisien, adding, “Foo Fighters having cancelled their summer tour, Muse was called in as reinforcements.”

He also defended their eclectic lineup, describing the Hellfest audience as “more and more open” and saying that, while he created the festival to celebrate “hardcore” music, he now prefers to “shock them than to always do the same artists.”

After their latest tour, Foo Fighters headlined this year’s Hellfest alongside Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, and Machine Head. While it is unclear why the band has decided not to continue their streak into 2025, frontman Dave Grohl remains a significant focus in many major headlines.

Why did Foo Fighters cancel their tour?

Although Barbaud didn’t reveal why Foo Fighters cancelled their summer tour, Dave Grohl attracted widespread attention in September when he revealed that he had a child outside of marriage. Foo Fighters had previously been promoting the album But Here We Are, joined on the road by his daughter Violet, who had also guested on the group’s last album.

Announcing the birth of his child, Grohl told his social media followers: “I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness. We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.”

This comes after Grohl previously welcomed his two daughters, Violet and Harper, and celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary with longtime partner Jordyn Blum. After the news broke, Foo Fighters subsequently cancelled their Soundside Music Festival headline slot, with no further scheduled dates in the calendar.