Keith Richards surfaces in the wake of 2026 tour cancellation
ByAaron on 96.9 The Eagle
Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs during the final night of the Hackney Diamonds '24 Tour at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena on July 21, 2024 in Ridgedale, Missouri. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
ByAaron on 96.9 The Eagle
Just a few days after the heartbreaking reports that The Rolling Stones have shelved their plans for a 2026 tour because of Keith Richards’ health concerns, the man himself is speaking out. “Keef” took to Instagram this week to break his silence...kinda...and while he didn’t explicitly mention the cancelled tour dates, he did offer a rare video message to the fans.
Sporting a bright yellow beanie and a silky orange jacket (because of course he owns a silky orange jacket), the 82-year-old legend looked to be in high spirits. He sat in front of a colorful Christmas tree and offered a classic Keef greeting:
Here we go again, another one...and I do bless you all and wish you all the best...you know...for the holidays.
— Keith Richards via Instagram
The most interesting part? He signed off by saying, “I hope to see you here in the next one, you know, keep going. Bless you all. One love.” It wasn’t exactly a promise of a future concert, but it wasn’t a retirement speech either.
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Keith Richards: Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 1965. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards and Mick Jagger open fan mail during the early days of the band, circa 1963. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg in December 1969. They were together for 12 years and had three children. (McCarthy/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: The Rolling Stones in 1964. Front row, drummer Charlie Watts and singer Mick Jagger. Back row, guitarists Brian Jones and Keith Richards and bassist Bill Wyman. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Guitarist Keith Richards sits at a desk holding a pen and looks over some proof sheets of the Rolling Stones in 1964. (Michael Ochs Archives)
Keith Richards: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards out on bail in 1967 after appealing a conviction on drug charges. (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards performing onstage in 1973. (Robert Knight Archive/Redferns)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards backstage at a Faces concert in 1974. (Graham Wiltshire/Redferns)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards strums backstage during the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas in 1975. (Christopher Simon Sykes/Getty Images)
Keith Richards In Brussels Keith Richards in Brussels, Belgium on May 6 1976. (Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards and Patti Hansen in New York in 1978. They were married in 1983. (Images Press/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards during a 1980 portrait session. (George Rose/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones takes a swig from a bottle of Jack Daniel's in front of actress Elizabeth Taylor in 1980. (New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards o performs on stage during the Rolling Stones' North American tour in 1981. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards from a 1987 photograph. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards in late 1988. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards chats backstage with Buddy Guy in 1993. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards performs on stage during the Rolling Stones' "Steel Wheels" in 1989. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards share a smile during an encore at a 1990 concert. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards, right, and Eric Clapton rehearse for their appearance at the 'Sheryl Crow & Friends' concert in 1999. (Gene Shaw/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards, left, backstage with John Lee Hooker in 1993. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards during a 2023 interview. (NBC/Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards performs during The Rolling Stones surprise set in celebration of their new album “Hackney Diamonds” at Racket NYC on October 19, 2023. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for RS)
Keith Richards: Keith Richards plays guitar while host Jimmy Fallon sings during their interview on Friday, October 20, 2023. (NBC/Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image)
Keith Richards: From left, Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards backstage before The Rolling Stones' surprise set in celebration of their new album “Hackney Diamonds” at Racket NYC on October 19, 2023. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for RS)
Reports from Variety and The Sun suggested the 2026 tour was called off because Keith didn’t feel he could commit to being on the road for four months straight. Honestly, at 82, he’s earned the right to hang out on his couch for a hot minute. We might not be getting a stadium show this year, but it is just good to see him smiling and “keeping going.”
Aaron is on the air with you for your morning commute Monday through Friday from 6am - 10am on the Eagle. Hopefully he can help you make your workday a breeze to get through with some awesome music!