Rolling Stones Launch ‘Foreign Tongues’ With Thames Drone Show and Star-Studded London Party

Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood performed ‘Ringing Hollow’ live at the St. Clement hotel before 500 drones lit up the London skyline.

The Rolling Stones marked the imminent release of their 25th studio album, ‘Foreign Tongues,’ with a 500-drone light show over the River Thames and a star-studded party at the St. Clement hotel in London on July 8. Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood surprised guests with a live performance of album track ‘Ringing Hollow,’ while the drone display illuminated the London skyline above the Eye and Big Ben with the band’s iconic tongue logo.

 

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A Night on the Thames for the Stones’ New Album

The guest list at the St. Clement hotel reflected the band’s enduring cultural reach. Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Sam Fender, Sacha Baron Cohen, John McEnroe, Glen Matlock, and Vernon Kay were among those in attendance for the private celebration.

Jagger and Wood were joined onstage by pianist Matt Clifford, described as a longtime collaborator to Jagger who also plays keyboard in the Stones’ touring band. The trio performed ‘Ringing Hollow,’ one of the 14 tracks on the new record. The band’s Instagram caption for the clip read: ‘Mick and Ronnie have surprised guests at a special event, with a performance of Ringing Hollow, from the new album Foreign Tongues, out this Friday!’

The Drone Show Over the River Thames

Following the performance, internationally acclaimed designer Patrick Woodroffe staged the drone display over the Thames. Woodroffe described the concept in a statement: ‘The music for the 500 drone light show was set to the new Stones song In The Stars and is a fitting metaphor to see the iconic and much loved Stones’ tongue hanging over the River Thames to celebrate a record made here in the city of London.’

The display was linked to the band’s recent single ‘In The Stars,’ one of several previews released ahead of the album. The visual of the Stones’ tongue logo suspended above the London Eye and Big Ben made for a suitably grand statement from a band that has never been shy about scale.

What’s on ‘Foreign Tongues’

The album, the band’s 25th studio effort, is released July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music. It was produced by Andrew Watt, who also helmed 2023’s ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ and was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London. The Stones described the process in a statement: ‘We put this album together in under a month at Metropolis Studios in our hometown of London, it was a lot of fun. The critics seem to like it, we hope everyone loves it!’

The 14-track record features contributions from Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, along with further posthumous appearances from Charlie Watts. Robert Smith appears on guitar on the single ‘Divine Intervention.’

The album was previewed in stages. The first tease came in April when the band shared a bluesy clip under their old pseudonym The Cockroaches. Singles ‘Rough And Twisted,’ ‘In The Stars,’ ‘Jealous Lover,’ and ‘Divine Intervention’ followed before the full release.

Singles Released Ahead of the Album

The Stones rolled out four official singles from ‘Foreign Tongues’ in the lead-up to the July 10 release date:

• Rough And Twisted
• In The Stars
• Jealous Lover
• Divine Intervention (featuring Robert Smith)

A Podcast Series and a Jagger Endorsement for Sam Fender

To accompany the album, the band launched an official six-part podcast series called Speaking In Tongues, narrated by Norah Jones. The series features new interviews with Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts.

Fender’s presence at the launch party was no coincidence. Jagger recently told NME that he is a fan of Fender’s work, calling his album ‘People Watching’ ‘excellent’ and ‘stunning,’ and singling out ‘Seventeen Going Under’ from his earlier catalog. Jagger also spoke about the ‘very easy’ experience of collaborating with Paul McCartney on the new record.

What we know

• ‘Foreign Tongues’ is the Rolling Stones’ 25th studio album, released July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music.
• The album was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London and produced by Andrew Watt, who also produced ‘Hackney Diamonds.’
• The album contains 14 tracks and features Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, Chad Smith, and posthumous contributions from Charlie Watts.
• A 500-drone light show designed by Patrick Woodroffe was staged over the River Thames on July 8, set to the song ‘In The Stars.’
• Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood performed ‘Ringing Hollow’ live at the St. Clement hotel, accompanied by pianist Matt Clifford.
• Guests at the launch party included Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Sam Fender, Sacha Baron Cohen, John McEnroe, Glen Matlock, and Vernon Kay.
• The band launched a six-part podcast series called Speaking In Tongues, narrated by Norah Jones, featuring interviews with Jagger, Richards, Wood, and Watts.

The take

The ‘Foreign Tongues’ launch is a masterclass in how legacy rock acts can still command cultural attention without relying solely on nostalgia. Staging a drone show over one of the world’s most recognizable skylines, timed to a new single, is the kind of spectacle that generates organic coverage across every platform simultaneously. It also signals that the Stones are treating this album as a genuine artistic statement rather than a contractual obligation.

The Andrew Watt connection is worth noting. Watt has become the go-to producer for legacy rock acts looking to sound contemporary without abandoning their identity; his work on ‘Hackney Diamonds’ was widely credited with giving the Stones a commercial and critical resurgence. Repeating that partnership suggests the band found a working relationship that suits them.

The guest contributor list is similarly telling. McCartney, Smith, and Winwood are not random celebrity cameos; they are figures with genuine artistic credibility who bring their own audiences. Posthumous Watts contributions have become a recurring and emotionally resonant thread since ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ and their continued inclusion here suggests the band is deliberately honoring his legacy across multiple releases.

Recording a 14-track album in under a month at a single London studio also fits a broader pattern of veteran acts rediscovering the energy of working quickly and instinctively, a deliberate counter to the years-long album cycles that have become common in the streaming era.

Why it matters

For Classic Rock fans, ‘Foreign Tongues’ represents the Stones operating with a creative momentum that seemed unlikely even five years ago. Two albums in quick succession, both produced by Watt, both featuring serious guest collaborators, both accompanied by large-scale promotional events, suggests the band has found a sustainable model for remaining relevant without touring at the same grueling pace. The drone show and podcast series also demonstrate that the Stones understand how to reach audiences across multiple platforms simultaneously, a skill many of their contemporaries have struggled to develop.

What’s next

‘Foreign Tongues’ is released July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music. The six-part Speaking In Tongues podcast series is available to accompany the album. Mick Jagger has also told NME that he is already writing material for a follow-up record.

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