Brian May Says Queen Are Done Touring

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Brian May told The Times he no longer wants to undertake extended tours with Queen, saying he made that decision about 18 months ago. He and Roger Taylor remain interested in a possible immersive Queen production, but May says concerns about artificial intelligence complicate the idea.

Queen guitarist Brian May says he has decided against touring again with the band, telling The Times that extended stretches on the road no longer fit the life he wants. The comments set out a firmer position than his earlier remarks about Queen shows, though they do not rule out the group developing a different kind of live production.

May said the decision came after a close family friend died while Queen were touring the United States. He recalled asking his tour manager if he could return home for a few days and then rejoin the tour, but was told that was not possible. The episode, he said, made clear the limits touring placed on his freedom and ability to respond to events at home.

“I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn’t want to tour again,” May told The Times. He said he still loves performing and travelling, but pointed to his wife, grandchildren and astrophysics as reasons to spend less time away. May, 79, described the choice as a question of whether “maybe 50 years is enough.”

The remarks concern touring, rather than a confirmed end to every possible Queen performance. May said he and drummer Roger Taylor are interested in creating something “fairly revolutionary,” and described an immersive Queen experience as a possibility. He said he had sketched out a production after visiting the Sphere venue in Las Vegas, but raised concerns about the role of artificial intelligence in making such a show.

Queen’s Live Future Beyond Touring

May’s comments matter because they narrow the prospects for another conventional Queen tour, which would require long periods of travel and fixed commitments. The band’s last performances with Adam Lambert were on the Rhapsody Tour, which concluded with a February 2024 show in Tokyo, according to the source report.

At the same time, May’s interest in an immersive production leaves a distinction between ending road touring and ending Queen’s public presence as a live act. Such a production could offer audiences a way to experience the band’s music without the same touring schedule, but no show, venue or timetable has been announced. His reservations about AI also point to a creative and ethical question that would need resolving before the concept could move forward.

From U.S. Tour Limits to a New Format

Earlier this year, May ruled out Queen shows in the United States while leaving open the possibility of performing elsewhere, according to the report. His new comments go further: he described a decision made around 18 months earlier not to tour again, rather than limiting the issue to one country.

Queen + Adam Lambert have not performed together since the February 2024 Tokyo concert that closed the Rhapsody Tour. May’s latest interview does not announce a replacement tour or confirm that the band has permanently retired from all live appearances. Instead, he raised an immersive production as a possible alternative to a traditional series of concerts.

“I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn’t want to tour again.”

— Brian May, speaking to The Times

Touring Ends, but Performances?

May’s statement describes his own decision not to tour; the report does not include a separate announcement from Queen confirming a formal band-wide retirement from touring. It is also unclear whether Queen might make occasional appearances that do not involve an extended tour, or whether any future performance would include Adam Lambert.

The proposed immersive production remains an idea, not a confirmed project. May has not specified a launch date, format, location or production partners, and his concerns about artificial intelligence remain unresolved. No details establish how the technology would be used or whether the concept can proceed without it.

Any New Show Needs a Plan

There is no announced next Queen concert or touring schedule in the source report. The next development to watch for is whether May and Taylor turn their interest in an immersive Queen experience into a defined production and how they address May’s objections to AI.

Until the band or its representatives provide further details, May’s interview is the clearest account of his personal position: he does not want to tour again, while leaving open the possibility of a different way to present Queen’s music. A future project, if announced, would clarify whether that possibility extends to a new live experience for audiences.

Key Questions

Has Brian May said Queen are ending all live performances?

No. May said he does not want to tour again. He also raised the possibility of an immersive production, but no performance or project has been confirmed.

When did May decide to stop touring?

May told The Times he made the decision about 18 months before the interview, after a family friend died while Queen were touring in the United States.

When did Queen + Adam Lambert last perform together?

According to the source report, they last played together at a February 2024 show in Tokyo, which concluded the Rhapsody Tour.

Will Queen create an immersive show instead?

May said an immersive experience was still a possibility and that he and Roger Taylor wanted to develop something new. However, no production has been announced, and May said concerns about AI complicate the idea.

Source: rss