In a new interview with Metal Hammer magazine, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine doubled down on the band’s recently announced farewell chapter, making it clear that he has no intention of reversing course — unlike other veteran hard rock and metal acts who have announced goodbye tours only to return a few years later.
Asked whether Megadeth could eventually follow the same path as bands like Mötley Crüe or Slayer, Mustaine was blunt: “I don’t think so. You see the scuttlebutt that is associated with bands like that. You know they never follow through with it and stick to their word.”
Megadeth‘s upcoming self-titled album, due in January 2026, has already been confirmed as the band’s final studio release. However, Mustaine did leave the door open to one possible exception — a live album documenting their farewell tour.
“Look, it all depends on how the statements are crafted,” he explained. “So, we’re doing no more studio albums. Does that mean there might be a live album at the end of all of this? Yeah, it certainly looks that way.”
Rather than viewing the farewell as a clean break, Mustaine framed Megadeth as something that will always exist beyond touring and releases: “I don’t think there is going to be a morning after.
“I think for all of us, we’re always going to be in Megadeth. We’re always going to be brothers now and best friends, and we’re always going to be responsible for making some of the most fun music that bassists and guitarists and drummers will ever want to play.”
Mustaine‘s comments align with what he recently told Spain’s MariskalRockTV, where he explained that Megadeth‘s farewell chapter wasn’t the result of a dramatic, premeditated announcement. According to Mustaine, the conversation emerged naturally while the band was recording their final album: “We were working in the studio, and it just had been a really difficult few weeks.
“We were trying to get everything done… we had a bunch of deadlines we ran up against, and my hands were hurting really bad. And then I just said one day to my management, ‘You know, I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be able to do this.’ I didn’t say, ‘Hey, I wanna retire right now.'”
Mustaine has since been open about the physical issues influencing the decision, including Dupuytren’s contracture, severe arthritis, and long-standing spinal problems:
“You can look right here on this hand. There’s a line right there that’s sticking up. That’s something called Dupuytren’s contracture… and then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they’re severely arthritic. So all those bumps make it really painful to play.”
Megadeth has a whole bunch of farewell dates lined up for 2026 so far, all of which you can find below. And if you miss these, I’m sure it’s not an issue considering Dave Mustaine said this tour is gonna be going on for “three to five years.” Get the full list of dates below and get your tickets here.
Megadeth also recently announced they’re teaming up with Trafalgar Releasing for a worldwide cinema screening of the new Megadeth new film Megadeth: Behind The Mask. The film will hit over 1,000 screens worldwide on January 22, 2026.
1/17 La Vergne, TN Let There Be Shred: Immersive Listening Event
2/15 Victoria, BC Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
2/17 Abbotsford, BC Rogers Forum
2/18 Kelowna, BC Prospera Place
2/20 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
2/21 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
2/24 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
2/25 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre
2/28 London, ON Canada Life Place
3/1 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
3/3 Halifax, NS Scotiabank Centre
3/4 Moncton, NB Avenir Centre
3/6 Québec City, QC Videotron Centre
4/23 Lima, Peru Costa 21
4/26 Bogotá, Colombia Movistar Arena
4/27 Bogotá, Colombia Movistar Arena
4/30 Buenos Aires, Argentina TBD
5/10 Mexico City, Mexico Arena Ciudad de Mexico
5/11 Mexico City, Mexico Arena Ciudad de Mexico
5/13 Guadalajara, Mexico Arena Guadalajara
5/2 São Paulo, Brazil Espaco Unimed
5/4 Santiago, Chile Movistar Arena
5/5 Santiago, Chile Movistar Arena
5/8 Monterrey, Mexico Arena Monterrey
6/10 Hradec Králové, Czechia Rock For People – Park 360
6/11 Luxembourg, LUX Rockhal
6/14 Ferrara, Italy Ferrara Summer Festival – Piazza Ariostea
6/15 Zurich, SWI Halle 622
6/16 Vienna, AUT Gasometer
6/2 Hanover, Germany Heinz von Heiden Arena
6/23 Istanbul, TUR KüçükÇiftlik Park
6/26 Helsinki, Finland Suvilahti – TUSKA
6/28 Almaty, KAZ Spartak Stadium
6/7 Gelsenkirchen, GER Amphitheater
8/29 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
8/30 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
9/11 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/15 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
9/19 Shakopee, MN Mystic Lake Amphitheater
9/22 Tinley Park, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9/25 Los Angeles, CA BMO Stadium
9/26 Los Angeles, CA BMO Stadium
9/29 San Antonio, TX Alamodome
9/3 Montréal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
9/5 Harrison, NJ Sports Illustrated Stadium
9/6 Harrison, NJ Sports Illustrated Stadium
9/9 Boston, MA TD Garden
