A journey that began over 50 years ago when former members of Santana formed their own spinoff band is coming to an end. Journey have announced details of a long-rumored Final Frontier farewell tour that will take them all across North America next year.
The first legs kicks off Feb. 28 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and wraps up July 2 in Laredo, Texas. There are 60 dates on the books, mostly in secondary and tertiary markets, and more will be announced in the future.
“This tour is our heartfelt thank-you to the fans who’ve been with us every step of the way — through every song, every era, every high and low,” Journey founder Neal Schon says in a statment. “We’re pulling out all the stops with a brand-new production — the hits, the deep cuts, the energy, the spectacle. It’s a full-circle celebration of the music that’s brought us all together.”
“As its founding member, I carry the Journey torch to this day, wherever I go,” he continues. “The sentiment and spirit of the band will always remain. While this marks a farewell to one powerful chapter of the Journey we’ve shared, I want everyone to know I’m not done. Music is still burning strong inside me, and there are new creative horizons ahead. This tour is both a thank-you and the beginning of what’s next.”
Longtime guitarist Jonathan Cain echoed the sentiment: “It’s been an incredible ride. We’ve shared our music with millions and this tour is about gratitude, connection and one last chance to feel that magic together. We wouldn’t want it any other way.”
They’ll be joined once again by singer Arnel Pineda, who has been delivering Steve Perry’s vocal parts since joining the band in 2007. “I’m honored to be part of this legacy and I’m grateful for having been welcomed with such open arms,” he says in a statement. “Every night on stage has been a dream come true.”
Schon, Cain, and Pineda will be accompanied by keyboardist/singer Jason Derlatka, drummer/singer Deen Castronovo, and bassist Todd Jensen.
A press release promises an “all new, special evening with stage production across North America with their catalog of global chart-topping hits, including ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, ‘Any Way You Want It,’ ‘Faithfully,’ ‘Lights,’ and more in a celebration of legacy, love and the fans who made it all possible.”
Journey went on an extended hiatus in 1987 when Perry decided to walk away from public life. They briefly reformed in 1996 to record the comeback LP Trial by Fire, but they parted ways with Perry before they were able to tour behind it. In 1998, they reconvened with new vocalist Steven Augeri and slowly rebuilt their audience with a relentless tour schedule. Augeri left the band in 2006, and was briefly replaced with Jeff Scott Soto, but everything changed when Schon discovered Pineda singing Journey covers on YouTube. He’s been in the band for the past 18 years.
Along the way, there’s been a fair amount of discord between Schon and Cain that played out in legal filings, social media posts, and interviews. There was also a protracted legal battle with the classic-era rhythm section of Ross Valory and Steve Smith following their dismissal from the band in 2020.
Despite all the bad blood and the many lineup changes, Journey continued to tour, often on bills with fellow Eighties survivors like Def Leppard, Heart, and Toto. But they’ve only done a handful of gigs this year, and have been completely inactive since an April 24 show at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.
Here are the dates for the first leg of Journey’s Final Frontier Tour:
Feb. 28 – Hershey, PA @ GIANT Center
March 2 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Mach 4 – Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena
March 5 – Trenton, NJ @ CURE Insurance Arena
March 7 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
March 9 – Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
March 11 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
March 12 – Quebec City, QC @ Vidéotron Centre
March 14 – Hartford, CT @ PeoplesBank Arena
March 16 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
March 17 – Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
March 19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
March 21 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
March 22 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
March 25 – N. Little Rock, AR @ Simmons Bank Arena
March 26 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
March 28 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
March 29 – Bossier City, LA @ Brookshire Grocery Arena
March 31 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
April 3 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
April 4 – Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
April 6 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
April 8 – Des Moines, IA @ CASEY’S CENTER
April 9 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
April 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
April 14 – Boise, ID @ ExtraMile Arena
April 15 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
April 17 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
April 19 – Eugene, OR @ MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA
April 21 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
April 22 – Bakersfield, CA @ Dignity Health Arena
April 24 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center at Fresno State
May 15 – Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena
May 16 – Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
May 18 – Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
May 20 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
May 21 – Greensboro, NC @ First Horizon Coliseum
May 23 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
May 27 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
May 28 – Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena
May 30 – Knoxville, TN @ Food City Center
May 31 – Savannah, GA @ Enmarket Arena
Jun 3 – Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
June 4 – Roanoke, VA @ Berglund Center Coliseum
June 6 – Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
June 7 – Manchester, NH @ SNHU Arena
June 10 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
June 11 – Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
June 13 – Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center
June 14 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
June 17 – Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
June 18 – Fort Wayne, IN @Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
June 20 – Champaign, I @L State Farm Center
June 21 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
June 24 – Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at the MARK
June 25 – Springfield, MO @ Great Southern Bank Arena
June 27 – Tupelo, MS @ Cadence Bank Arena
June 28 – Lafayette, LA @ CAJUNDOME
July 1 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Hilliard Center
July 2 – Laredo, TX @ Sames Auto Arena