David Lee Roth Cancels Summer Tour; Sammy Hagar Offers Olive Branch

Hagar reached out via social media video, inviting his longtime rival to join him and Michael Anthony at their Las Vegas residency in September.

David Lee Roth pulled nearly all remaining dates from his 2026 U.S. summer tour on July 23, leaving only his August 7 appearance in Sturgis, South Dakota on the schedule. No official reason was given for the cancellations. Within hours, former Van Halen bandmate and longtime rival Sammy Hagar posted a video message expressing concern for Roth’s wellbeing and extending an invitation to join him and bassist Michael Anthony at their upcoming Las Vegas residency.

Tour Dates Quietly Disappear

Roth launched the current trek in April and later extended it through early September under the banner ‘Don’t Love Me, Rent Me,’ mixing solo material with a heavy dose of Van Halen classics. On the morning of July 23, shows in Dillon, Colorado; Clear Lake, Iowa; Louisville, Kentucky; and East Moline, Illinois were all removed from his official website without explanation.

The Sturgis, South Dakota date on August 7 remains the lone surviving entry on his schedule. No statement from Roth or his camp accompanied the removals.

Reports of empty seats at multiple dates in June and July had circulated ahead of the cancellations, with some observers speculating that low ticket sales may have been a contributing factor. No official confirmation of that reasoning has been offered.

Hagar’s Video Message: ‘I Hope There’s Not a Physical Problem’

Later on July 23, Hagar posted a video to social media, filmed while sipping what he described as his favorite cocktail. He said he had just received a call from Michael Anthony about the cancellations and wanted to respond publicly.

Hagar said: “Hey Dave, Sammy here. I just got a call from Michael Anthony as I’m sitting down having my favourite cocktail, I don’t have to tell you what this is, about your tour getting cancelled. And I wanna say from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I hope you’re well. I hope there’s not a physical problem.”

Hagar went on to frame Roth’s touring activity as a tribute to their shared legacy, six years after the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen. “Honestly, Mike and I love the fact that you’ve been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of,” he said. “And, yeah, I’m really sorry. That’s fucked up. Supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive. You and I, Mikey, Al, Ed, cannot be replaced. So, when you’re ready to carry on, you go, brother. Mike and I support you.”

Hagar then extended an invitation for Roth to appear at his and Anthony’s Las Vegas residency in September. “Come on, join us,” he said. “Sing a couple of songs, MC the damn show. Come out and just do what the fuck you do, which is pretty damn entertaining. Anyway, hope you’re well. I really do. God bless, brother.”

The Tour and the Band Behind It

Roth, 71, opened the 2026 run on April 16 at Spokane Live! at Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. His backing band for the tour consisted of Al Estrada on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass, Francis Valentino on drums, and Danny Wagner on keyboards, along with several backing singers. McNabb joined as the new bassist, replacing Ryan Wheeler.

The 2026 dates followed Roth’s 2025 summer U.S. tour, which concluded September 14, 2025 in Napa, California. That run itself came after Roth reversed a retirement announcement he had made in early 2021, following a Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues.

A Rivalry That Has Defined Classic Rock for Decades

The Roth-Hagar dynamic has been one of rock’s most reliably combustible feuds since Hagar replaced Roth in Van Halen in 1985. The two traded barbs in the press for years, briefly set aside hostilities for a joint tour in 2002, then resumed sniping not long after. As recently as last year, Roth publicly mocked Hagar’s claim that he had been visited by the ghost of Eddie Van Halen.

Given that history, Hagar’s video landed as a genuine surprise. The tone was sympathetic rather than performative, and the invitation to share a Las Vegas stage represents the most concrete gesture of goodwill either man has made in years.

What we know

• On July 23, all but one of Roth’s remaining summer 2026 tour dates were removed from his official website with no explanation given.
• The only remaining date on Roth’s schedule is August 7 in Sturgis, South Dakota.
• Cancelled shows included dates in Dillon, Colorado; Clear Lake, Iowa; Louisville, Kentucky; and East Moline, Illinois.
• Roth is 71 years old and launched the 2026 tour on April 16 at Spokane Live! at Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, Washington.
• The tour was promoted under the banner ‘Don’t Love Me, Rent Me,’ featuring solo material alongside Van Halen classics.
• Sammy Hagar posted a video message on social media on July 23 expressing concern for Roth and inviting him to join Hagar and Michael Anthony at their Las Vegas residency in September.
• Reports of empty seats at multiple Roth dates in June and July preceded the cancellations, with speculation that low ticket sales may have contributed.
• Hagar replaced Roth in Van Halen in 1985. The two briefly toured together in 2002.

The take

Roth’s touring comeback has always carried a degree of risk that most legacy acts don’t face. Unlike Hagar, who has a stable Las Vegas residency and the built-in draw of the Cabo Wabo brand, Roth has been working club and mid-tier theater circuits without the structural support of a full Van Halen reunion or a co-headlining partner to share the promotional load. Reports of sparse attendance at June and July dates fit a pattern that has affected several solo classic rock tours in recent years, as post-pandemic ticket-buying habits have shifted and casual fans increasingly wait for festival slots or arena-scale events rather than committing to standalone club shows. The ‘Don’t Love Me, Rent Me’ framing was characteristically Roth, but branding alone doesn’t fill seats when the draw is a solo act without a current album cycle behind it. What makes this moment genuinely notable is Hagar’s response. The two men have been one of rock’s defining rivalries for four decades, and Hagar’s video, whatever its ultimate sincerity, represents a public softening that neither man has offered before. The Las Vegas invitation is unlikely to materialize quickly, but the fact that it was extended at all signals something has shifted in how both men are processing the post-Eddie Van Halen era of the band’s legacy.

Why it matters

For fans of Van Halen’s full catalog, the Roth-Hagar feud has long been an obstacle to any unified celebration of the band’s music. Eddie Van Halen’s death in 2020 changed the emotional calculus, and Hagar’s video suggests at least one side is willing to reframe the rivalry as shared stewardship of a legacy rather than a competition. Whether or not a Las Vegas collaboration ever happens, the public gesture matters because it resets the tone around how both singers talk about each other and about Van Halen going forward.

What’s next

Roth’s only confirmed remaining date is August 7 in Sturgis, South Dakota. Hagar and Michael Anthony have a Las Vegas residency scheduled for September, and Hagar has publicly invited Roth to appear at those shows. No confirmation from Roth or his representatives has been reported.

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