YES keyboardist Rick Wakeman has announced that he will embark on a farewell US solo tour, revealing the first leg of dates for this spring.
Billed as “The Final Solo Tour,” Wakeman’s last one-man dates will take place throughout 2024, including two North American legs. The first batch of US dates kicks off March 19th in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and runs through March 29th in Albany, New York.
A Live Nation ticket pre-sale for select dates begins Wednesday (January 24th) at 10 a.m. ET using the code SPOTLIGHT. General ticket sales start Friday (January 26th) at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.
The concerts will see Wakeman performing “YES music and other favorites,” including a new piece entitled “Yessonata” — a 30-minute instrumental featuring “YES themes and melodies, woven into sonata form.”
A press release stated that Wakeman was stepping away from solo performances in order to “concentrate on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians.” Shared the rock legend in his own statement:
“I always planned to stop touring by my 77th birthday – for those of you who wish to send me a card, it’s May 18th! – but there is so much to fit in before then that I’m having to make plans now and so my final one-man shows will have to cease by that date.
I have thoroughly enjoyed performing the various one-man shows, but it’s time to call it a day. I intend to throw in the best of what I have done in the past, plus a few new surprises on the way, and possibly even the odd guest joining me on the odd occasion.
The plan is not to perform at the same venue twice throughout this period, so whatever venue you are hopefully thinking of coming to, it will be the last performance there — and I am taking this opportunity of thanking everyone and anyone who has supported me over the last 53 years!”
The US trek will be preceded by a run of UK dates in February and followed by a tour of Mexico and South America in April (get tickets to those dates here). A second leg of North American shows is planned for later this year.
Below you can see a full list of Rick Wakeman’s 2024 tour dates. Get tickets here.
Rick Wakeman’s 2024 Tour Dates:
02/15 – Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall
02/17 – Liverpool, UK @ Philharmonic
02/18 – Manchester, UK @ Bridgewater Hall
02/20 – Brighton, UK @ Dome
02/21 – Cardiff, UK @ St David’s Hall
02/23 – Birmingham, UK @ Symphony Hall
02/24 – York, UK @ Barbican
02/25 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage
02/27 – London, UK @ Theatre Royal Drury Lane
02/28 – Bristol, UK @ Beacon
03/01 – Evesham, UK @ The Regal
03/19 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
03/20 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
03/22 – Huntington, NY @ Paramount Theater
03/23 – Collingswood, NJ @ Scottish Rite Auditorium
03/24 – Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
03/26 – Red Bank, NJ @ The Vogel @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
03/27 – Vienna, VA @ The Barn
03/28 – Vienna, VA @ The Barns
03/29 – Albany, NY @ Egg – Hart Theatre
04/03 – Mexico City, MX @ Auditorio Blackberry
04/06 – Santiago, CL @ Teatro Teleton
04/09 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Teatro Gran Rex
04/11 – Porto Alegre, BR @ Salão de Atos da PUCRS
04/12 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Tokio Marine Hall
04/14 – Brasilia, BR @ Centro de Convencoes Ulysses Guimaraes
04/15 – Curitiba, BR @ Opera de Arame