Journey actually appeared to have plans to proceed their Closing Frontier Tour into 2027. So, what occurred?
The whole lot started with an enormous shock. Jonathan Cain hinted on the prospect of leaving after 45 years with Journey, earlier than Neal Schon confirmed the lineup change in October 2025: “He is saying on the finish of ’26-’27, he’ll transfer on. We may have a fantastic couple of years.”
Journey then initially confirmed 60 dates, working by means of July 2026. The timeline appeared lengthy, certainly. “For now, the story will go on,” frontman Arnel Pineda stated in an April social-media publish, “and who is aware of when it’s going to cease.”
Cain additionally talked about 2027. “There’s one other 12 months, and main markets coming,” he instructed UCR final February. However then in April, he did not appear so positive: “Proper now we’re debating whether or not or to not end up in November,” Cain instructed Songwriter Universe, “or push it again to subsequent 12 months.”
Journey’s Promise of Extra Reveals in 2027
They added 40 extra dates in Could 2026, bringing the present complete to some 100 stops – all in North America. They later scheduled a number of warm-up stops earlier than the second leg, together with two in Japan and three in Hawaii. Journey administration stated that they had no remark about future plans – regardless of Schon having initially talked about a for much longer tour.
“We now have about 120 exhibits [booked],” Schon stated in October 2025, “and we’ll in all probability add to them. Half of [them will be] in ’26 and the opposite half [of the concerts will follow] in ’27.” That adopted a publish on Journey’s official social-media accounts asking followers what they’d “like to listen to on the ’26-’27 tour, so please mates put in your music selections!”
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Schon even hinted at future shared dates with Bryan Adams. “I believe he’d be great for us to do a stadium [tour] with,” Schon added. “Whether or not or not we get there in ’27, it’s going to occur finally. I believe it is sort of inevitable. I believe that each of us, along with perhaps yet another act, could be [really great].”
Journey’s Closing Frontier exhibits kicked off in late February. Pineda – Journey’s longest-serving frontman – has typically struggled with their prolonged exhibits and even lengthier excursions, so Journey started offering elevated vocal assist from bandmates Cain, Deen Castronovo and Jason Derlatka. That continued on these two-hour “night with” exhibits, with no assist act.
Controversies Marred Journey’s Closing Tour
The on-going tour hasn’t been with out its controversies. Schon had been working behind the scenes to safe a trademark for Journey Past, an offshoot band that might maybe succeed the present version of the group. He by no means clarified his plans.
There have been preliminary questions concerning the lineup. Then Cain hinted at a attainable reunion with classic-era frontman Steve Perry – solely to have the concept very publicly shot down by Perry inside hours.
In April, Pineda confirmed that he’d twice tried to drag out earlier than the Closing Frontier Tour launched, citing struggles together with his voice and an ongoing divorce. “I stated to [the band] I needed to retire due to my private issues,” he revealed. “No reply. Clearly, they do not need to discover one other singer.”
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Pineda requested followers for his or her “respect to my privateness as I navigate a brand new chapter in my life that is nonetheless kinda scary ‘trigger for me, it is unknown.” Schon subsequently confirmed that Journey’s contract with touring firm AEG particularly said that the dates may solely transfer ahead with Pineda.
In April 2026, Journey’s deliberate efficiency on the Stagecoach Competition was pre-empted when excessive winds compelled the Empire Polo Membership in Indio, California, to name for an evacuation. They by no means returned to the stage.
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A deflated-sounding Cain stated in Could 2026 that Journey had been decreased to “simply repeating ourselves” on tour. Even “the brand new albums do not appear to maneuver the needle,” he added. In the meantime, years of public disputes and authorized battles appeared to have worn on Schon, the band’s last remaining authentic member.
“There’s simply a lot ongoing noise – and I simply need some f—ing peace, for actual,” Schon admitted in late March 2026. “I am simply actually uninterested in all of the authorized [battles]. It is meaningless to me. I haven’t got any time for it.” On July 5, he posted a message indicating that the finish was close to: “Two extra exhibits left on this leg of our tour then a effectively deserved break earlier than our last fall dates.”
Journey is now set to play the beforehand introduced late-2026 exhibits, starting on Saturday (Sept. 5) in Honolulu. No different concert events have but been confirmed after a Nov. 28 cease at San Francisco’s Chase Middle. Actually, by August, Cain gave the impression to be hinting at a giant reunion to ramp up late-tour curiosity.
Which may have recalled the emotional highpoint of their fiftieth anniversary tour when Journey was joined on stage by long-departed co-founder Gregg Rolie in his hometown of Austin. However Journey’s first particular visitor on tour was hardly a key former contributor.
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As an alternative, they performed two August exhibits in Japan with a Journey tribute band vocalist named Hugo Valenti, who even mimicked Steve Perry’s onstage strikes. Pineda, in a subsequent remark on social media, stated: “That is the band proper there. Now, I can step again.”
It was a reminder that Schon additionally stated: “This tour is each a thanks and the start of what is subsequent.” Is that Journey Past? Is Valenti going to take over for Pineda? Both method, “what’s subsequent” is seemingly occurring sooner slightly than later.
Rating Each Journey Dwell Album
They’re seemingly at all times on the street, however the exhibits have not essentially been well-documented. So, we took a extra expansive look again.
Gallery Credit score: Nick DeRiso
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