Still rocking the world: Queen and Adam Lambert launch first North American tour in 4 years

Rock royalty is heading back to the spotlight. Queen legends Brian May and Roger Taylor are reuniting once again with powerhouse vocalist Adam Lambert for their long-awaited return to North American stages—their first tour across the continent in four years.

Announced as The Rhapsody Tour, the 14-date run begins in Baltimore this October and will crescendo in Los Angeles by mid-November. Fans can expect a full-throttle 150-minute set packed with Queen’s timeless anthems—from “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “Somebody to Love” and “Radio Ga Ga”—alongside deeper cuts that loyalists have long cherished.

For the band, the magic isn’t just in the music—it’s in the shared connection with fans. “Every night, those two and a half hours belong to the people in front of us,” said May, 75. “We give them everything we’ve got. It’s a rush—and if it ever stops being fun, that’s when we’d stop doing it.”

Lambert, 41, echoed the sentiment, calling the live experience electric. “The audience is the fuel. Seeing thousands of people singing their hearts out—there’s nothing like it. It charges you. It keeps you going,” he said. “It’s kind of addictive.”

While their energy on stage remains legendary, Taylor, 73, joked that he’s content preparing in his own classic style—no intense vocal warm-ups for him, just a splash of Irish whiskey and a Diet Coke before showtime. “Adam’s vocal rituals are impressive,” he said with a grin. “I’m happy to cheer him on from the side.”

Though Queen + Adam Lambert toured Europe and the UK last year, this marks their official North American return after a pandemic-forced hiatus. Since their last outing, all three musicians have kept creatively busy: May reissued solo projects, Taylor released his first solo album in nearly a decade, and Lambert unveiled High Drama, a genre-hopping collection of cover songs.

But for May and Taylor, this collaboration with Lambert remains more than just a touring act—it’s the revival of something they once thought was gone forever.

“After Freddie passed, we assumed Queen was finished,” May shared, reflecting on the band’s loss of Freddie Mercury in 1991. “We didn’t look for a new singer—we didn’t think it would ever happen again. Then Adam appeared, almost out of nowhere.”

Their first meeting came in 2009, when Lambert, then a contestant on American Idol, stunned audiences with his soaring range and theatrical flair. “His voice is something else. There’s really nothing like it,” said May. “And the look—the glam, the sparkle—he was born to wear diamonds.”

But what makes Lambert a true fit for Queen, the band says, is his reverence for Mercury’s legacy without trying to imitate him.

“He doesn’t try to be Freddie. That’s so important,” May noted. “He honors him, as we all do, but he brings his own interpretation to every song. That’s the magic—he makes the music new again.”

Lambert agrees, calling their creative partnership a “team effort.” “Freddie laid the foundation for all of this. He was one of a kind. I don’t try to replace him—I just try to exist in the space he created, and have fun with it. From what I’ve heard, he loved a bit of mischief too.”

The camaraderie between the trio is evident on and off the stage. “Adam’s kept us young,” joked May. Lambert fired back with a laugh: “I’ve introduced them to eyeliner and high heels.”

Taylor, meanwhile, offered a more serious note on Lambert’s contributions. “Having a voice like Adam’s at the front of the band—it gives us confidence. We can trust him to carry these songs and make them soar.”

As for any talks of retirement? Don’t count on it.

“No way,” May said definitively. “To be able to do this at the level we’re doing it, and still love it—it’s a blessing. Why would we stop? I’ll probably keep doing this until I drop.”