Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Announce Summer 2026 Tour Across Two Continents

The run marks the band’s first headlining UK shows in more than 15 years and their first tour since the death of longtime drummer Thommy Price.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have announced a summer 2026 tour that spans two continents, opening May 23 at BottleRock Napa Valley and stretching through festival stops in Sweden and France before a trio of headlining UK dates in Glasgow, Manchester, and Leeds. The run also marks the band’s first major outing since the passing of drummer Thommy Price, who spent nearly three decades with the group.

Tour Overview: Festivals, Hershey, and a UK Return

The summer slate is compact but geographically ambitious. Jett opens at BottleRock Napa Valley on May 23, a festival she has a history with, having played its inaugural 2013 edition and returning four years later for a second appearance. The BottleRock bill this year also includes Foo Fighters, Kool & the Gang, Men at Work, and Bush.

From California, the tour moves to Europe for the Sweden Rock Festival in Solvesborg on June 5, then back to the United States for the America250PA Commonwealth Concert Series in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on June 13. A return to Europe follows with a set at Retro c Trop in Tilloloy, France, on June 28.

The UK leg begins July 2 at O2 Academy Glasgow, continues July 4 at Manchester Academy, and closes July 5 at O2 Academy Leeds. According to reporting on the tour, these will be the Blackhearts’ first headlining UK dates in more than 15 years.

Full 2026 Tour Dates

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ complete confirmed schedule:

• May 23 — BottleRock Napa Valley, Napa, CA
• June 5 — Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, Sweden
• June 13 — America250PA Commonwealth Concert Series, Hershey, PA
• June 28 — Retro c Trop, Tilloloy, France
• July 2 — O2 Academy Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
• July 4 — Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK
• July 5 — O2 Academy Leeds, Leeds, UK

First Tour Since Thommy Price’s Death

The 2026 dates carry added weight as the first tour since the death of Thommy Price, who served as the Blackhearts’ drummer for nearly 30 years between 1986 and 2016. Price appeared on eight of the band’s albums, beginning with Jett’s fifth studio project. He was 68 when he died.

Price’s tenure covered some of the most commercially significant years in the band’s catalog, and his passing closes a chapter that defined much of the Blackhearts’ recorded legacy.

Recent Activity: Billy Idol Tour and Las Vegas Residency

Jett has remained active in recent years. In 2025, she shared stages with Billy Idol on his It’s a Nice Day to … Tour Again! dates, a run split into two legs between May and September that totaled 30 shows. Between those legs, Jett played a June 2025 residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas.

Tickets and additional information for the 2026 dates are available through Jett’s official website.

What we know

• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will open their summer 2026 tour on May 23 at BottleRock Napa Valley.
• The UK leg in Glasgow, Manchester, and Leeds will be the band’s first headlining UK dates in more than 15 years.
• Thommy Price served as the Blackhearts’ drummer for nearly 30 years between 1986 and 2016, appeared on eight of their albums, and was 68 when he died.
• Jett played a June 2025 residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas and toured with Billy Idol on his It’s a Nice Day to … Tour Again! run, which totaled 30 shows across two legs.
• Jett previously played BottleRock at its inaugural 2013 festival and returned four years later for a second appearance.

The take

Joan Jett’s decision to anchor a lean, carefully chosen summer run around major festival slots rather than a sprawling North American shed tour reflects a broader shift among legacy rock acts in the mid-2020s. Selective touring, built around high-profile festival appearances and targeted regional runs, has become an increasingly common model for artists whose catalogs can command festival-headliner or strong-support billing without the physical and logistical demands of a full tour cycle. Jett’s BottleRock slot alongside Foo Fighters is a strong placement; the festival has grown into one of the premier wine-country rock events in the country since its 2013 launch, the same year Jett first played it. The UK return is arguably the most significant element here. British audiences have a deep affinity for the kind of hard-edged, punk-influenced rock Jett built her solo career on, and a 15-plus-year gap between headlining visits tends to generate genuine demand. Playing academy-sized rooms in Glasgow, Manchester, and Leeds rather than arenas is a smart calibration; those venues reward artists with loyal, passionate fanbases and create an intimacy that larger rooms can’t replicate. The shadow of Thommy Price’s death adds a layer of emotional significance to the entire run. For longtime fans, these shows will carry a sense of tribute alongside the celebration.

Why it matters

For Classic Rock fans, this tour is a reminder that Jett remains a working artist with real international reach, not simply a nostalgia act cycling through greatest-hits packages. The UK dates in particular matter because they signal that the Blackhearts are still willing to invest in markets where they built early credibility. The timing, coming after Price’s death, also gives the run a commemorative dimension that will resonate with fans who followed the band through its most prolific recording years.

What’s next

The tour opens May 23 at BottleRock Napa Valley. European festival dates follow in early June, with the UK leg running July 2 through July 5. Tickets and further details are available via Joan Jett’s official website.

Frequently asked questions

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