Rock legends Queen, set to be fronted by Adam Lambert on the Rhapsody Tour of Europe and the UK this year, have rescheduled their touring dates to 2022 as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Having completed tours of Asia and Oceania in early 2020, the band were originally set to continue the European leg of their tour during the summer, but the dates were pushed forward to 2021 due to the pandemic; the band announced today that the tour will now take place between May and July 2022.
“Under continuing Europe-wide Covid restrictions there’s no possible way the tour can go ahead as planned for this year,” Queen + Adam Lambert said today. “The prospect of again not being able to look forward to performing and getting to experience those wonderful audiences is just heartbreaking.” To alleviate some of the disappointment of their fans, the band have announced an extended schedule of touring dates for 2022, kicking off with two shows at the Manchester MEN Arena on May 30th and 31st, followed by two shows at The SSE Hydro arena in Glasgow and then a 10 night residency at the O2 arena in London.
Reflecting on the disappointment of the postponement as well as the early success of the Rhapsody Tour, guitarist Brian May said: “Those incredible scenes at those concerts now seem like an impossibly distant dream. One minute we are out in Australia strutting our stuff and interacting with thousands of happy people, next minute we are stuck in the house. We were so lucky to be able to complete that tour, running just ahead of the wave that was about to break on us.”
Queen have been performing with Adam Lambert since 2011, following guest appearances by May and drummer Roger Taylor on American Idol in 2009 on which Lambert was a contestant. In the summer of 2020, in lieu of their European and UK tour following the postponement, all three members – May, Taylor and Lambert – began collaborating on a revised edition of the Queen classic ‘We Are the Champions’. Aptly renamed ‘You Are The Champions’, the song was dedicated to UK health workers at the peak of COVID despondency, with all proceeds from the single going to them. The music video, which featured scenes from covid wards as well as a cameo from Taylor’s doctor daughter, Rory Taylor, was viewed nearly four million times during its first month on Youtube.
Find the full rescheduled Rhapsody Tour date list below.
30/05/2022 – AO Arena – Manchester
31/05 – AO Arena – Manchester
02/06 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
03/06 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
05/06 – The O2 Arena – London
06/06 – The O2 Arena – London
08/06 – The O2 Arena – London
09/06 – The O2 Arena – London
11/06 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
12/06 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
14/06 – The O2 Arena – London
15/06 – The O2 Arena – London
17/06 – The O2 Arena – London
18/06 – The O2 Arena – London
20/06 – The O2 Arena – London
21/06 – The O2 Arena – London
24/06 – Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin
26/06 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne
28/06 – Hallenstadion – Zurich
29/06 – Olympiahalle – Munich
01/07 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam
02/07 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam
06/07 – Wizink Centre – Madrid
07/07 – Wizink Centre – Madrid
11/07 – Unipol Arena – Bologna
13/07 – Accrohotels Arena – Paris
15/07 – Sportpaleis – Antwerp
17/07 – Royal Arena – Copenhagen
18/07 – Royal Arena – Copenhagen
