Keith Richards drops troubling update about Rolling Stones' future

The Rolling Stones have been rocking it for more than 60 years. That’s a long time. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the band’s touring days may be over, but it’s still sad for fans who want to catch them live.

Speaking with BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Year, Mick Jagger revealed that he “can’t wait” to go back out on tour with The Rolling Stones again. That’s a good sign. However, Keith Richards isn’t saying the same thing.

Amid chatting about the band’s new album, “Foreign Tongues,” Richards said that the idea of touring in 2026 just isn’t one that he’s considering. At least, not right now.

“I don’t know if tours are possible,” he told Uncut magazine in a fresh interview. “It’s the traveling that takes it out of you.”

But don’t worry, because Richards says the band could still play shows, just not tour.

“But I do see the possibility of us doing [a] residency somewhere,” he says in the chat. “Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I’ll play Rome! But I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to throw some shows together in a new format.”

Aside from touring, Richards says he’s still enjoying making music with the band. After all these years, he and the band members of The Rolling Stone are still friends and friendly.

“Yeah, it’ll be exciting until something inside me says, ‘That’s that,’” he notes. “I love working with the guys. I mean, what am I gonna do?”

He adds: “It’s necessary for me – at gunpoint, if needs be – to keep a band together. ‘You will play drums!’ I do my bit, but it’s an incredible gift from everybody else. I didn’t expect this in return.”

The Rolling Stones will drop their new album, “Foreign Tongues,” on July 10.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 10:44 AM.