Keith Richards has suggested that The Rolling Stones may shift away from traditional touring in favour of residencies, revealing that the physical demands of travel have become the biggest obstacle to the band performing live.
“I don’t know if tours are possible,” Richards told Uncut Magazine. “It’s the travelling that takes it out of you. But I do see the possibility of us doing residency somewhere. Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I’ll play Rome! But I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to throw some shows together in a new format.”
The comments build on remarks Mick Jagger made recently on BBC Radio 2, where the frontman said he “can’t wait” to get back on the road and is hoping to tour again “as soon as possible” — though he acknowledged it would not happen this year. The band scrapped plans for a U.K. and European stadium tour in 2026 after Richards was unable to commit to the run.
Despite the logistical questions, Richards was clear that the desire to play has not diminished. “It’ll be exciting until something inside me says, ‘That’s that,'” he said. “I love working with the guys. I mean, what am I gonna do?”
The Stones are preparing to release their 25th studio album Foreign Tongues on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music. Recorded in less than a month at Metropolis Studios in West London with producer Andrew Watt, the album features guest appearances from Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Steve Winwood, alongside a special appearance by late drummer Charlie Watts recorded during one of his final creative sessions with the band before his death in 2021.
The album includes previously released tracks “Rough and Twisted” and “In the Stars,” as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.”
Richards reflected on the recording process in the album’s announcement. “The Foreign Tongues album has a continuity from Hackney Diamonds, and it was great to be working in London again, and to have that London vibe around us,” he said. “It was a month of concentrated punch.”
Hackney Diamonds, the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and produced “Angry,” which became the band’s first U.K. top 40 hit since 2005.
