Queen + Adam Lambert Announce Explosive 2025 Rhapsody Tour — “We’re Not Slowing Down”
Rock’s royal family is hitting the stage once again—and they’re bringing the thunder.
Queen legends Brian May and Roger Taylor are reuniting with their not-so-secret weapon, powerhouse vocalist Adam Lambert, for a long-awaited North American comeback. Dubbed The Rhapsody Tour, this 14-city run kicks off in Baltimore on October 4 and wraps with a bang in Los Angeles on November 11. It’s their first tour across the continent in four years—and they’re promising nothing short of a full-blown rock spectacle.
Fans can expect a high-voltage, 150-minute set packed with Queen’s iconic anthems—think “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Radio Ga Ga”—along with deep cuts for the diehards. But this tour isn’t just about the music—it’s about legacy, evolution, and the kind of magic that happens when generations collide onstage.
Adam Lambert: The Spark That Reignited the Fire
For Brian May, now 75, the connection with fans is still what drives the band forward. “Every night, those two and a half hours belong to the people in front of us,” he says. “We give them everything we’ve got. It’s a rush—and if it ever stops being fun, that’s when we’d stop doing it.”
Adam Lambert, 41, agrees—adding that the adrenaline from the crowd is what fuels the band’s fiery performances. “There’s nothing like it,” he said. “The energy, the voices, the love—it’s kind of addictive.”
While Lambert’s pre-show warm-ups are the stuff of vocal legend, Roger Taylor keeps things a little more old-school. His routine? “A splash of Irish whiskey and a Diet Coke,” the 73-year-old drummer said with a smirk. “Adam can do all the fancy stuff—I’ll cheer him on from the side.”
A Band Reborn, Not Replaced
Though they toured Europe and the UK last year, this marks Queen + Adam Lambert’s official North American return after a pandemic-prompted pause. But in the years since, the band has never stopped moving. May reissued solo work, Taylor dropped his first solo album in nearly a decade, and Lambert delivered High Drama, a critically acclaimed, genre-blending album of covers.
Still, nothing matches the energy of their onstage chemistry—a fusion that even May once believed would never exist again.
“After Freddie passed, we thought Queen was over,” May admitted, recalling the grief after Mercury’s death in 1991. “We weren’t looking for a new singer. Then Adam came along, out of nowhere.”
That “nowhere” moment happened in 2009, when Lambert—then a finalist on American Idol—stunned both audiences and May himself with his vocal range and glam-rock charisma. “He’s got a voice like nothing I’ve ever heard,” May said. “And the look—the sparkle, the flair—he was born to wear diamonds.”
But what truly sets Lambert apart, the band agrees, is his ability to honor Freddie without trying to imitate him.
“He doesn’t try to be Freddie. That’s so important,” May explained. “He brings his own soul to every performance. That’s what makes it new again.”
Still Rocking, Still Rolling — With No Plans to Quit
Lambert embraces the weight of Queen’s legacy, but refuses to be boxed in by it. “Freddie laid the foundation,” he said. “I don’t try to replace him—I just try to live in the space he created and have fun doing it. From what I hear, he loved a bit of mischief, too.”
Their bond is more than musical—it’s personal. “Adam’s kept us young,” May joked. Lambert fired back: “I’ve introduced them to eyeliner and high heels.”
Taylor chimed in with praise: “Having a voice like Adam’s gives us confidence. He lifts these songs up and makes them soar.”
So, what about retirement? Forget it.
“No way,” May said flat-out. “To do this at this level and still love it—that’s rare. Why would we stop? I’ll probably keep doing this until I drop.”
Queen + Adam Lambert — The Rhapsody Tour 2025 (North America)
-
Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
-
Oct 08 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
-
Oct 10 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
-
Oct 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
-
Oct 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
-
Oct 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
-
Oct 23 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
-
Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
-
Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
-
Oct 30 – Chicago, IL – United Center
-
Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
-
Nov 05 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
-
Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
-
Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium
Bottom Line:
Queen is not just revisiting the past—they’re rewriting the present. With Adam Lambert leading the charge, the band proves that even legends can evolve, adapt, and still blow the roof off every arena they enter. Get ready—The Rhapsody Tour is more than a concert. It’s a celebration of timeless sound, fearless reinvention, and rock ‘n’ roll royalty that refuses to bow out.
