Mick Jagger expressed his excitement about returning to the stage with the Rolling Stones, confirming during a BBC Radio 2 interview with Ronnie Wood that the band intends to embark on future tours.
“I’m eager to hit the road,” Jagger said. “I can’t wait,” he added, while tempering expectations: “It likely won’t happen this year, but we hope to get started as soon as possible.”
Jagger’s statement follows the band’s cancellation of a planned U.K. and European stadium tour for 2026. In January, reports indicated that the group turned down several summer offers because of venue and travel logistics, as well as existing commitments.
The Rolling Stones embarked on their most recent tour in 2024 to promote the 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, which included 20 North American concerts. The production was extensive, featuring rehearsals of over 60 songs from the band’s repertoire after the album’s London launch and a pop‑up show in New York City.
The Rolling Stones are preparing to launch their upcoming album Foreign Tongues on July 10. Recorded at West London’s Metropolis Studios with producer Andrew Watt—who also produced Hackney Diamonds—the record features Jagger, Richards, Wood, and the return of bassist Darryl Jones, keyboardist Matt Clifford, and drummer Steve Jordan. It also includes a posthumous contribution from the late drummer Charlie Watts, captured during one of his final sessions before his 2021 passing. Guest contributors include Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In the BBC Radio 2 interview, Jagger explained that his collaboration with Smith was a chance encounter at an industry gathering.
“He was standing there with his back to me and this long gown on and when he turned around, he was covered in lipstick,” Jagger said. “And I said, ‘You’re Robert Smith of The Cure.’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ve never met.’ And I said, ‘While you’re here, you better go and do something.’ That’s how collaborations work sometimes.”
Regarding McCartney, Jagger noted, “We had never performed together before. While I’d sung with him previously, we had never played an instrument together, which was thrilling. He learned quickly.”
