Brian May has denied reports Queen will never tour again, insisting his comments were taken out of context. The 78-year-old guitarist took to Instagram to address a Rolling Stone headline declaring "Brian May says Queen won't tour again", assuring fans he had never made such a claim.
May's clarification
"This is a misinterpretation of what I actually said. I have actually never said Queen won't ever tour again," he insisted. "I could never say never. I simply made a personal decision last year to take a break from touring. I've been making lots of music, and Roger [Taylor] and I are constantly working together on Queen projects behind the scenes. I don't know what the future holds. I'm ever open to new adventures!"
Sir Brian last toured with Queen + Adam Lambert on The Rhapsody Tour, which ended in Japan in February 2024. In recent years, he and drummer Roger, 77, have been focusing on their own projects.
Recent projects
Following the release of his album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World, in September, Roger went out on a solo tour. However Brian joined him on stage for a couple of songs in London's Roundhouse on September 28, to the delight of Queen fans.
Brian has also been working on his own music, including creating the epic theme song Eternia for the Masters Of the Universe film, which launched in June this year. He is also set to debut his own brand of Red Special gin on Thursday, October 8.
Original interview
His remarks about touring came from an interview he gave to The Times alongside his bandmate. The title reported he said: "I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn't want to tour again.
"A close family friend died when we were in the States, so I said to my tour manager, 'I'll just nip home for a few days and come back.' She looked me in the eyes and said, 'You know you can't do that.' I love to play, I love to travel, but the trade-off is sacrificing your freedom."
He added: "I have a wife [the actress Anita Dobson], grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I'm thinking maybe 50 years is enough."
Queen Budapest premiere
While fans may have to wait and see if Brian and Roger will hit the road again, the pair were reunited in London on Wednesday, September 30, for the premiere of Queen Budapest, which hits cinemas on October 7.
The 4K remastered concert film captures the legendary 1986 performance by the band at the Népstadion in Budapest, Hungary. The show was performed on July 27, 1986, during Queen's Magic Tour, which was their final one with legendary frontman Freddie Mercury. It also marked the very first stadium rock concert by a major Western band performed behind the Iron Curtain, three years before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
