Dave Mustaine Says Megadeth Won’t Backtrack on Farewell Plans, Refuses to Crüe-It-Up
How many times have we heard bands say “we’re retiring,” only for them to walk that shit back and milk as much money out of a reunion tour? We’ve got Kiss, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Pantera… and probably the most egregious of them all — Mötley Crüe — just to name a few. With all those past experiences in mind, it’s easy to think Megadeth’s impending retirement will go the same way, but Dave Mustaine is swearing up and down that once his band is done, it’s done.
During a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Mustaine ensured fans that he won’t let Megadeth do what those other bands did. He wants Megadeth’s retirement to be done the right way, with the artists behind the band sticking to their plans.
“I don’t think [Megadeth will reunite]. You see the scuttlebutt that is associated with bands like that. You know they never follow through with it and stick to their word.”
With their final studio album Megadeth coming out next month, Mustaine has in the past said the retirement won’t take place next year. Instead, he plans on the band going out on tour for at least three to five more years before he officially calls it quits.
And while that last self-titled album will be Megadeth’s final studio effort, Mustaine didn’t rule out a possible live album to commemorate the band’s final tour together.
“Look, it all depends on how the statements are crafted. 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.”
As for what he thinks life after Megadeth will be like, Mustaine said he couldn’t imagine it yet, since there’s still so much to be done before it’s all said and done.
“Well, there’s so much still going on now that I don’t really want to think about that too much. I can’t really conceive of an end right now.
“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.”
Megadeth’s self-titled, farewell LP is set to release January 23 of 2026 via BLKIIBLK, but you can preorder your copy today.
As for their farewell tour, there’s a chance they’re coming to a venue near you, so you owe it to yourself to catch Mustaine and co. one (or more than one) last time before they’re through. The dates that have been announced so far have been listed below.
Megadeth Farewell Tour Dates
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
