Rolling Stones: tour and new album on the way. The clues on the web and beyond

The Rolling Stones' return is taking shape through a series of signals that remain fragmentary but increasingly convergent. In recent days, between official updates and teasing moves, the band has hinted that something is now imminent, both on the recording front and the live one.

What first reignited attention was a move on the official website: a new image appeared in the tour section showing a private jet branded with the band's famous tongue logo, next to a staircase ready for boarding. A seemingly minor detail, but enough to suggest a comeback. No new dates have been added so far, and the page still lists only past shows, but the visual change looks like a clear placeholder ahead of an announcement.

At the same time, posters signed "The Cockroaches" — an alias the band has used before — have appeared in London, pointing to a countdown set for April 11. The move, reinforced by clues scattered online and the involvement of Universal Music Group, appears to be building a coordinated campaign: new music, a live return, or both remain the most plausible scenarios. Some reports of casting calls for a possible video shoot also feed the idea of a single on the way.

The main sticking point remains live performances. In recent months there had been rumors of a European stadium tour, later denied, with The Sun attributing the change of plans to Keith Richards' health issues, as he deals with a form of arthritis. A condition the guitarist himself has recently confirmed, explaining that he's changed his approach to the instrument: less speed, fewer notes, but a more focused search for expressive solutions. In an interview with Guitar World, Richards described this adjustment as still a creative process, noting how the physical limitation has opened up new technical possibilities, partly thanks to changes to his gear, such as a wider-necked guitar.

Against this backdrop, an alternative to a traditional tour is taking shape. According to the Daily Mail, the band is said to be considering a series of residencies, shows spaced out more loosely to allow for longer recovery time between dates. A format already adopted by other long-running artists, which would let the Stones maintain a live presence without keeping up the pace of an extended tour.

On the recording front, however, the clues are more concrete. The follow-up to “Hackney Diamonds” (2023) — the first album released after the death of Charlie Watts and a Grammy winner — appears to be essentially finished. Ronnie Wood had already hinted back in 2025 that new material would arrive by the following year, a statement later reinforced by producer Andrew Watt and keyboardist Chuck Leavell, both of whom took part in the recent studio sessions. The release is expected sometime in 2026.

Alongside the new material, work on the historical catalogue is also continuing. The 50th-anniversary reissue of “Black and Blue” (1976) has offered an expansive re-reading of a pivotal moment in the band's history, marked by Wood's permanent arrival in the lineup. Released by Universal, the edition includes unreleased material, live recordings and an extensive booklet, confirming a strategy that combines archival curation with new output.

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