The Who has just announced their “final” North American tour, aptly titled “The Song Is Over.” But if you’re thinking, “Wait, haven’t they said goodbye before?”—you’re not alone.
Back in 1982, The Who embarked on what was billed as their farewell tour. Fans were told this was the end, and the band even released a statement making their breakup official in December 1983. But as history shows, that wasn’t the case. They reunited in 1989 for another tour, and have continued to perform sporadically ever since.
Fast forward to 2025, and The Who is once again announcing a farewell tour. This time, it’s called “The Song Is Over,” and it’s set to be their final North American tour. The tour kicks off on August 16th in Sunrise, Florida, and wraps up on September 28th in Las Vegas.
The Who toured North America for the first time in 1967. And, in 1982, they actually went on a “farewell tour.” Townshed recently told Rolling Stone, however, that it was never the band’s idea to say they’d stop touring. He said, “It wasn’t me that said, ‘This is the last tour.’ It was the Who’s manager.”
“And he did it because it was a ‘ka-ching’ moment. We sold out an arena tour. It wasn’t a very smart thing to do. I should have really protested, but I didn’t. But I felt we could go, ‘I don’t care what the manager says, I don’t care what the record company or the promoter says. If we want to get back together on a tour again, we will.’ It just took a long time.”
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, the surviving original members, have cited health and logistical challenges as reasons for this being their last tour. Daltrey, now 81, has mentioned issues with his vision and vocal strain, while Townshend, who is 79, has discussed the difficulties of touring at their age.
