On December 5, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine sat down for a chat on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk to discuss the band’s newly announced “farewell” tour, which is set to kick off in 2026.
The tour, titled “This Was Our Life,” will support Megadeth‘s upcoming self-titled final album, Megadeth. This announcement marks the beginning of the end of a career spanning over four decades.
When asked about the decision to make the band’s last record self-titled and to embark on a “farewell” tour, Mustaine cited his long-standing physical health issues as a major factor.
“It’s been a long time coming — my hands have been giving me trouble, and I’ve been dealing with a lot of other issues, including arthritis, bulging discs, and a broken lumbar bone,” Mustaine explained. “I’ve also had my back fused, up by my shoulders and neck. It’s just been a lot to handle.”
Mustaine has always measured his future in the band by his ability to perform at maximum level. The decision to call it quits wasn’t triggered by a single dramatic moment, but rather a gradual realization that came to him while working on the new album:
“I’ve always said that when I’m no longer able to give 100% every night, that’s when I’ll start thinking about winding down. It wasn’t that I was unable to give 100%, because we finished the record and I think we did a great job, but there was a point when we were working on it and I told my manager, ‘I don’t know how much longer I can do this — my hands are really hurting.’
“I didn’t mean to set the ball rolling, but it turned into a conversation with the band and my family, and after praying on it, the answer became clear to me: by the time we’re done with the record, I’ll know how it’s going to do. If it does well, I’ll be able to have one last great tour, and that’s what this farewell tour is all about — saying goodbye to our friends and fans around the world.”
Mustaine emphasized that a proper send-off requires time and a global reach, not just a short domestic tour: “We’re an American band, but we play everywhere, so it’s not like we’re just weekend warriors. We’ve got a lot of touring to do to do our farewell properly.”
After Eddie Trunk noted that many veteran acts stay on stage past their prime, Mustaine agreed that continuing without being able to deliver at full strength doesn’t make sense for Megadeth, especially given the band’s stable situation: “I don’t think there’s any reason for us to keep playing if we’re not able to deliver 100%,” Mustaine said.
“Unless you’re financially struggling and need to keep playing, which, thank God, I’ve been successful and able to pay all my bills on time. The band guys get their paychecks on time, and we do everything by the book.”
“Some people may have to keep playing because they have nothing else to do, but when I think about what I’ll do after I hang up my guitar, I believe I’ll keep doing music in some way, shape, or form — just not in the same way I have with Megadeth. If I need to stop playing with my first love, I’m not going to try to do it again with someone else.”
In short, the upcoming cycle looks like a deliberate, carefully planned goodbye, shaped by health realities, pride in performance standards, and a desire to thank the worldwide fanbase properly before closing the book on Megadeth‘s touring legacy.
Megadeth has a slew of farewell dates lined up for 2026, and you can find them all below. And don’t worry if you miss these — Dave Mustaine said the tour will be going on for “three to five years.” Get the full list of dates below and get your tickets here.
Megadeth has also announced a partnership with Trafalgar Releasing for a worldwide cinema screening of their new film, Megadeth: Behind The Mask, which will hit over 1,000 screens worldwide on January 22, 2026.
Here are the 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
