Rolling Stones Launch 'Desperate' Gigs Plan After Keith Richards is Blamed for 'Killing Greatest Rock Act in History'
The Rolling Stones are quietly tearing up the rulebook of rock touring, turning to a stripped-back, residency-style plan.
Jan. 24 2026, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal The Rolling Stones are quietly tearing up the rulebook of rock touring, turning to a stripped-back, residency-style plan after internal acceptance a traditional world tour is no longer viable – with Keith Richards at the center of the decision.
The band, formed in London in 1962 and long considered the greatest live rock act in history, had been preparing a full European tour this summer to support a forthcoming studio album.
World Tour Axed As Reality Bites
The Rolling Stones have scrapped plans for a full world tour.
That plan has now been abandoned. Instead, music insiders told us the Stones are working up three short mini-residencies – one in the U.K., one in the U.S. and one in Argentina – designed to reduce travel, rehearsal time and physical strain.
The concerts are expected to be spread out with a week of shows followed by two weeks off, a radical shift for a group built on relentless global touring.
Keith Richards At Center Of The Shake-Up
The Stones plan short residencies in the UK, US, and Argentina.
A music industry source familiar with the planning said the move was driven by logistics.
"There is absolutely no sense that the desire to perform has faded, or that audiences would suddenly stop turning up," the source said.
"What has changed is a recognition that the physical demands of a full-scale world tour, especially for Keith, are no longer realistic. The challenge now is working out how the band can still perform at the highest level, in front of live crowds, without pushing themselves to the point where it becomes unsustainable or risks ending everything altogether."
Another source involved in negotiations added the approach was "a last realistic option" if the Stones are to continue performing at all.
Las Vegas Residency And High-Stakes Gamble
Mick Jagger was reportedly open to a traditional tour.
One proposed U.S. residency is at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the immersive, high-tech venue that has already hosted legacy acts.
A U.S.-based music source said: "There is genuine interest from the venue and a substantial proposal being discussed, but it is far from straightforward.
"The scale of the production required comes with enormous upfront costs, and the relatively limited capacity means the numbers have to stack up perfectly.
"It only makes sense if all sides are convinced the creative payoff and the physical effort involved justify the expense."
Privately, the decision has been linked to Richards, 82, the band's co-founder and guitarist, who is said to have balked at the prospect of months of rehearsals followed by a globe-spanning tour.
Now largely based in Connecticut with his wife Patti Hansen, 69, and spending time at a home in the Turks and Caicos, Richards is understood to have pushed for a less punishing schedule.
End Of An Era Or Final Reinvention
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The Stones aim to keep performing without overextending themselves.
A source said: "Keith had no appetite for signing up to weeks of intensive rehearsals followed by months of constant travel and performances. It's sad some fans will be accusing him of helping kill off one of the world's greatest rock acts of all time.
"But the harsh reality is, at this point in his life, committing to that level of physical and mental grind felt unrealistic, and there was a shared understanding that pushing him into it would come at too high a cost."
The same source stressed that there were "zero scenarios" in which the Stones would tour without him.
Frontman Mick Jagger, 82, is said to be keen to continue performing and would have embraced a full tour. In 2019, as the band launched the No Filter tour, Richards acknowledged their advancing years.
"So far, no one is tottering and falling over," he joked at the time. "Everyone is in remarkable shape, and, yeah, as long as that holds up, I think we will keep at it."
Guitarist Ronnie Wood, 78, echoed that optimism, saying: "None of us can really believe that we get a clean sheet... my doctor, without bribery, says I am fit!"
But the No Filter tour was disrupted by Covid-19 and then reshaped by the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 at the age of 80.
Steve Jordan, 69, was drafted in to complete touring duties and has since become the band's touring drummer. Insiders remain divided about the Stones' new pared-back plan.
One promoter said: "There will inevitably be critics who see this as a sign of desperation, while others will view it as a pragmatic and overdue adjustment. But behind the scenes there is a clear sense that, without this kind of scaled-back approach, there may simply be no viable way for the Stones to continue functioning as a live act at all."
Since first taking the road in 1963, the Rolling Stones have played more than 2,000 concerts, building a reputation for excess, endurance and unmatched stagecraft – a legacy now being carefully rationed rather than endlessly repeated.
