Rolling Stones weigh 2027 residencies over traditional tours
The Rolling Stones are considering 2027 residencies in European cities instead of traditional touring, signalling a potential shift in how major acts structure live music revenues.
The Rolling Stones have not announced any live dates to support their new album, "Foreign Tongues," which recently became their 15th UK number one. However, guitarist Keith Richards has indicated the band is exploring a different model for live performances in 2027.
Rather than undertaking a traditional multi-city tour, the band is weighing the possibility of extended residencies. "Bring the road to us. That’s my suggestion," Richards said in an interview with Billboard. He noted the group decided to focus on releasing the record first without rushing into touring commitments.
For the European live music sector, a residency model adopted by an act of the Stones' magnitude would represent a notable shift in how concert revenues are distributed. Traditional tours drive economic activity across dozens of cities and countries. A residency, by contrast, anchors that spending to a single venue and city for weeks, heavily concentrating the financial benefits for local hospitality and transport networks.
Richards explicitly named London, Paris, and Rome as potential locations. "I don’t know if tours are possible," he told Uncut magazine. "It’s the traveling that takes it out of you. But I do see the possibility of us doing a residency somewhere."
The Stones are not alone in this strategic pivot toward fixed-location engagements. Artists including U2, Metallica, Phish, and the Eagles have recently opted for extended residencies, most notably at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Pop star Harry Styles is also planning a 30-night residency at New York's Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, Queen + Adam Lambert are having conversations about staging shows at the Sphere.
While Richards cautioned that nothing is confirmed for this year, his comments highlight a developing trend in the live music industry. As legacy acts look to mitigate the physical and logistical costs of continent-hopping tours, major European capitals may increasingly find themselves competing to host exclusive, long-run engagements rather than single tour stopovers.
