originally published: 05/08/2025
Photo by William Synder Trinifold
One of the greatest bands in rock history, The Who, have announced their bittersweet final tour of the US and Canada as a truly grand finale of their illustrious six-decade career. Fans will have several opportunities in the tri-state area to see the band one last time. Local shows include August 19th at Prudential Center in Newark, August 21st at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, August 23rd at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and August 30th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Roger Daltrey says, “Every musician's dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the US charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It's not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
The 2025 series of dates is aptly titled The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour (named after the Who’s 1971 classic song).
Pete Townshend adds, “Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale and through the Who Fan Club (details below) beginning on Tuesday, May 13. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, May 16 at 10:00am at thewho.com/tour/.
Citi is the official card of The Who - The Song Is Over - North American Farewell Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning on Tuesday, May 13 at 10:00am until Thursday, May 15 at 10:00pm through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details, visit www.citientertainment.com.
Join the Whooligan Fan Club exclusively HERE at to receive early ticket access, exclusive Whooligan merchandise, and a copy of the previously unreleased album, Live At The Oval 1971, one of The Who’s most legendary shows, which has been newly mixed and mastered from the original tapes.
The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to pre-show soundcheck, invitation to the pre-show VIP Lounge, a limited edition autographed tour poster & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
One of popular music’s most influential and resilient pairings, Pete and Roger have rewritten the rulebook on what it means to be a world-changing live act throughout a sea of seismic shifts that would have put any other rock dyad on the mat. Townshend has commented on their high-performance standard, which has “risen out of the ashes of the halcyon years of rock ‘n’ roll.” That’s why it’s no surprise they’ve stacked some of the best reviews of any performing artists in the past decade. Variety raved “rock ’n’ roll’s greatest achievement…” about their previous American tour; evidence of their incredible staying power and a testament to an unparalleled repertoire of songs written by Townshend and sung by Daltrey with an attention to detail unmatched in the rock era.
Fans and critics continue to hail Pete and Roger’s ability to play the long game in music with passion and integrity like few before them. The historic 2025 The Song Is Over tour will mark the final face-to-face celebration of this timeless connection with North American Who fans, forever appreciative of the band’s ability to dispense with nostalgia and deliver authentic rock moments time and time again.
Further proof that the duo is still at the top of their game could be gleaned in a 2024 review of their performance at the Teenage Cancer Trust’s historic annual concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, honoring the work of its founder, Roger Daltrey, who stepped down from his curatorial role after 24 years. One reviewer of the Who’s performance called it: “One of the most joyous bombastic concerts London’s magnificent Royal Albert Hall has ever seen…”
America’s love affair with The Who live began 58 years ago when the band were part of ‘Murray The K's Music in the Fifth Dimension', a series of showcase events at RKO's 58th Street Theatre in New York over nine days in March and April 1967. The band played just three songs ('Can't Explain', 'Substitute', 'My Generation'), and other acts on the bill included Cream, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Wilson Pickett. Later that Summer, it was at the seminal Monterey International Pop Festival in California that they rose to prominence in a defining moment of the Summer Of Love. Two years later, The Who were once again front and center at the most famous festival of the '60s, Woodstock, performing an incendiary set in the early hours of August 17th, 1969.
The Who continued to thrill US fans throughout the 1970s before undertaking their first 'farewell' tour in 1982, which featured two shows at the legendary Shea Stadium in New York. When the band returned to the road in the late 1990s and early 2000s perhaps one of their greatest performances was at The Concert For New York City at Madison Square Garden shortly after the terror attack of 9/11, their three-song set in front of emergency workers and first responders was met with a primal roar from an audience. When Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were given the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2008 for their contributions to American culture, a tribute performance of "Baba O'Riley" was delivered with a full choir of New York firefighters in gratitude for The Who's performance at the show.
THE WHO: THE SONG IS OVER - 2025 NORTH AMERICA TOUR
Aug 16 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
Aug 19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Aug 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Aug 23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
Aug 26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
Aug 28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
Aug 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sep 2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep 4 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep 7 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sep 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sep 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Sep 21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sep 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
COLUMNS
Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Risen from The Dead" by Andy B.AND SoulFolk
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Risen from The Dead," the first single from "Tellin’ Myself Weird Li'l Stories," the forthcoming album by Andy B.AND SoulFolk on Deko Entertainment/ADA Warner Music.
MORE NEWS
Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms join Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 28th ahead of tour
On Wednesday, May 28, 2025 multi-platinum rock legends Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms will hit the stage on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a special performance on ABC. The appearance sets the tone for their upcoming summer co-headlining tour — an electrifying 30+ date run that includes a show in Atlantic City - Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort on Saturday, July 19. Spin Doctors are on the bill as well.
FRND CRCL releases "FRVR" single
A Conversation with Darlene Love Who Stars in SOPAC's "Share the Love" Celebration on June 12
Little Falls Trophy releases "My Little Sunshine (Rehashed Version)"
Songwriters by the Sea comes to SOPAC with Vonda Shepard, Nicole Atkins, Jake Thistle, Joe D'Urso, and Joe Rapolla
The Penguin Rocks
© 2025 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com
Presented by New Jersey Stage
