Legendary rock band Journey is making Des Moines a stop on its farewell tour in 2026.
It may not yet be time to stop believin’, but the band Journey is announcing plans to hang it up after a farewell tour. An exact end date is not being announced, but the veteran group will mark the beginning of the end by embarkig next year on what is billed as the “first leg” of its final outing, with 60 dates scheduled in North American arenas from late February through early July.
The first show of the AEG-promoted “Final Frontier Tour 2026” will take place Feb. 28 in Hershey, Penn., with the tour continuing through July 2 in Laredo, Texas. No word was given on when a second leg might take place, although Neal Schon has previously stated this lineup would tour into 2027. (Scroll down for the full list of newly announced shows.) Tickets go on sale next week.
The announcement of a farewell tour brings at least some clarity to the future of the group, after confusion arose amid statements ade on social media in early October by Neal Schon. The guitarist indicated that Jonathan Cain, the only other remaining member from the group’s classic lineup, was headed for the exit, but then Schon clarified that Cain only planned to leave after a 2026-27 tour. No mention was made then that such a tour would be the last for the entire lineup.
“As its founding member, I carry the Journey torch to this day, wherever I go,” Schon said in a statement. “The sentiment and spirit of the band will always remain. While this marks a farewell to one powerful chapter of the Journey we’ve shared, I want everyone to know I’m not done. Music is still burning strong inside me, and there are new creative horizons ahead. This tour is both a thank you and the beginning of what’s next.”
The tour itinerary passes over some primary markets like Southern California and New York City, no doubt being saved for a yet-to-be-revealed second leg. But the routing does include major cities like Pittsburgh, Montreal, Vancouver, Kansas City, Atlantic City, New Orleans, Austin, Des Moines, Sacramento, Buffalo and Washington, D.C., as markets that will apparently be getting their last shot at seeing a Journey show in the first half of the year.
Citi cardholders will be able to purchase presale tickets in the U.S. beginning Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale starts Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. local time.
Cain offered his own statement as part of the tour announcement. “It’s been an incredible ride,” said the keyboard player. “We’ve shared our music with millions and this tour is about gratitude, connection and one last chance to feel that magic together. We wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Schon and Cain are apparently of the same mind about bringing Journey to a close now, though that didn’t necessarily appear to be the case a month ago. In a post on X Oct. 9, Schon wrote, “Jonathan Cain announced his farewell to Journey tonight. I’m nowhere near done! Journey has so much more life ahead! I’m sure we will have a great tour!” In a subsequent answer to a fan’s question, Schon added, “He wants to do his ministry.”
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Following that, a spokesperson for Cain spoke up, saying the keyboard player “remains an active member of Journey, and any reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. He is fully dedicated to touring with the band over the next couple of years and has only expressed plans to retire at a later time.” Then Schon further clarified: “Jon is playing. He’s saying at the end of 26-27 he will move on. We will have a great couple of years.”
Schon and Cain have been publicly at odds, legally or otherwise, over different issues at many points in recent years, from credit card use to whether to visit the White House, though that has not stood in the way of an often vigorous touring regimen. Journey has remained a strong concert draw decades after the departure of singer Steve Perry, as Arnel Pineda has proven to be a popular substitute for millions of fans since he began performing with the band in 2008.
“I’m honored to be part of this legacy and I’m grateful for having been welcomed with such open arms,” said Pineda in a statement. “Every night on stage has been a dream come true.”
Both Schon and Cain are members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as Journey members. As he indicates in his quote, Schon was part of the founding lineup in 1973, four years even before Perry became its singer. Cain, formerly of the Babys, came aboard in 1980, in time for their seventh and biggest studio album, 1981’s diamond-certified “Escape,” earning co-writing as well as playing credits on hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
The current lineup is rounded out by drummer Deen Castronovo, whose tenure dates back to 1998; keyboard player Jason Derlatka, who joined in 2020; and bassist Todd Jensen, who came aboard shortly after that. (The latter two replaced late-’70s-era mainstays Steve Smith and Ross Valory, who were fired and sued by Schon and Cain over an “attempted coup,” then countersued, before all parties reached an out-of-court settlement.)
More ticket information for the tour can be found here.
Journey’s 2026 itinerary:
Feb 28 Hershey, PA Giant Center
Mar 2 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Mar 4 Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena
Mar 5 Trenton, NJ Cure Insurance Arena
Mar 7 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Mar 9 Hamilton, ON TD Coliseum
Mar 11 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Mar 12 Quebec City, QC Vidéotron Centre
Mar 14 Hartford, CT PeoplesBank Arena
Mar 16 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
Mar 17 Indianapolis, IN Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Mar 19 Milwaukee, WI Fiserv Forum
Mar 21 Memphis, TN FedExForum
Mar 22 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
Mar 25 N. Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
Mar 26 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
Mar 28 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
Mar 29 Bossier City, LA Brookshire Grocery Arena
Mar 31 Austin, TX Moody Center
Apr 3 Oklahoma City, OK Paycom Center
Apr 4 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
Apr 6 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford Premier Center
Apr 8 Des Moines, IA Casey’s Center
Apr 9 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
Apr 12 Salt Lake City, UT Delta Center
Apr 14 Boise, ID ExtraMile Arena
Apr 15 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
Apr 17 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
Apr 19 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena
Apr 21 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Apr 22 Bakersfield, CA Dignity Health Arena
Apr 24 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center at Fresno State
May 15 Tampa, FL Benchmark International Arena
May 16 Jacksonville, FL VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
May 18 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
May 20 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
May 21 Greensboro, NC First Horizon Coliseum
May 23 Atlantic City, NJ Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
May 27 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center
May 28 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
May 30 Knoxville, TN Food City Center
May 31 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
Jun 3 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
Jun 4 Roanoke, VA Berglund Center Coliseum
Jun 6 Worcester, MA DCU Center
Jun7 Manchester, NH SNHU Arena
Jun 10 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Jun 11 Allentown, PA PPL Center
Jun 13 Cincinnati, OH Heritage Bank Center
Jun 14 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Jun 17 Evansville, IN Ford Center
Jun 18 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Jun 20 Champaign, IL State Farm Center
Jun 21 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
Jun 24 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena at the Mark
Jun 25 Springfield, MO Great Southern Bank Arena
Jun 27 Tupelo, MS Cadence Bank Arena
Jun 28 Lafayette, LA Cajundome
Jul 1 Corpus Christi, TX Hilliard Center
Jul 2 Laredo, TX Sames Auto Arena
