The 25 tours we’re most looking forward to in 2021

For many, missing out on live concerts was just another negative aspect of 2020. Let’s hope that 2021 will be better on many fronts. And, that concerts will return if the coronavirus is contained and controlled to the point that crowds of people can again come together for the live music experience.

Plenty of big-name tours were postponed or canceled in 2020 but rescheduled for 2021. If we’re good to go, here are some worth taking in.



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Alabama

One of country music’s most successful all-time acts appears set to pick up their 50th Anniversary Tour in 2021. The run actually started in 2019, then was halted due to health issues involving lead singer Randy Owen. Then the coronavirus pandemic happened in 2020, leaving the Hall of Famers in limbo again. Now, it seems Alabama is ready to hit the road if allowed, beginning in late March 2021.



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Backstreet Boys

The beloved boy band’s 2020 “DNA Tour” was slated to be one of the year’s biggest events when it was postponed. Now, the Boys have rescheduled those dates and hope for a full run during the summer of 2021. Starting June 7 at the famed Hollywood Bowl, BSB fans can relive those screaming days of the 1990s when the group breaks out hits like “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “I Want It That Way.”



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Justin Bieber

Biebs hopes to be back on the road for a lengthy run of tour dates in 2021. A total of 45 to be exact. At least that’s the plan for the new year. The fun is scheduled to kick off in San Diego on June 2 and run through mid-August. If all goes to plan, and the United States is back to hosting concerts on a regular basis, Bieber’s tour should be one of the hottest tickets in 2021.



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Brooks & Dunn

The global pandemic shut down the famed country duo’s return to prominence through the “Reboot 2020 Tour.” Brooks & Dunn fans should not fret, however, as the group has rescheduled some of those dates for 2021. For the time being, it looks as if Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks are to perform shows in September and October. There’s also the possibility more dates could be added. 



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Luke Combs

The Country Music Association’s Male Vocalist of the Year for 2020, Combs is hoping to spend a lot of time on the road, if possible, in 2021. He’s slated to kick things off in the United Kingdom, beginning in mid-March. From there, if we’re looking good in terms of controlling the pandemic, Combs will be back in the U.S. for selected dates in June, July, and August.



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Dan + Shay

Come late summer 2021, country fans, especially those of this duo, hope they will have the chance to see Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney do what they do best. One of the genre’s hottest acts over the past few years, Dan + Shay are set to take the stage in early August at the “Boots and Hearts Festival in Ontario, Canada. Dates in the United States are expected to follow in early September and plug on into December.



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The Decemberists

The Decemberists’ “20th Anniversary Tour” is hoping to see life in 2021. There’s a lot to celebrate, so let’s offer good vibes that this will actually happen in the new year. The tour is scheduled to open in late July in Montana. And, play to a number of rather intimate venues and rooms that exemplifies the band’s genuine attitude when it comes to bringing its music and creativity to the masses.



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Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy

This “Hella Mega Tour” pop-punk assault was one of the most anticipated tours of 2021. Paced by Green Day, the tour had sold out ballparks and stadiums before being put on hold. These three massively popular bands will try to give it a go in 2021, starting in Austria in early June. Following a run in Europe, the tour is scheduled to open its U.S. stint in Seattle on July 14 and run through late August. 



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Guns N’ Roses

Since returning to rock prominence in 2016, G N’ R really hasn’t stopped touring. Or, at least it seems that way. Axl, Slash, Duff, and their backing band were expected to continue the stadium tour in 2020, but that obviously did not happen in full force. So, they’ll try to make it work in 2021, with such stops including Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and the FargoDome. The tour hopes to begin in Portugal on June 2, with dates in the United States to start in July.



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Halsey

Halsey got some European dates in on her “Manic World Tour” in 2020, before she canceled more gigs and the entire North American leg because of the pandemic. For the time being, the popster is scheduled to bring her musical magic to the U.S., starting in June. Barring any setbacks, the tour will run through July, giving her fans a potentially memorable summer in the sun.



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Alicia Keys

Keys’ fans are hoping this summer will provide the ticket to see one of the great Grammy Award-winning R&B-pop stars of a generation. “ALICIA The World Tour” is set to debut in June 2021 in the United Kingdom, and will span Europe until the middle of July. That’s when the tour is slated to hit U.S. soil in Jacksonville, FL, on July 27. From there, Keys hopes to strut her stuff across the States through late September.



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Lady Gaga

It was good to hear when Gaga announced that parts of “The Chromatica Ball Tour” would be rescheduled for 2021. As we begin a new year, there are only a handful of public dates on the docket. She’s scheduled for two shows in Paris and London in late July, followed by four August North American dates in Boston, Toronto, New Jersey, and Chicago. Of course, it’s quite possible we see more of Lady Gaga, from a live standpoint, in 2021.



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John Legend

It was a bittersweet 2020 for Legend, between his professional and personal life. As we turn the page to 2021, Legend is hoping, like every other entertainer on this list and elsewhere, to take the stage in 2021. He’s slated to begin touring the U.S. on Aug. 11 and will be performing through the end of September. At least that’s the plan, and one we and his countless number of fans hope plays out.



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Maroon 5

Say what one will about Maroon 5 and its pop stylings, the group still remains popular to many around the globe. Especially those who still watch VH1. In 2021, Maroon 5 is expected to hit the road for an extensive tour schedule. It includes a couple of March shows outside the U.S., followed by a massive North American run that starts in mid-July in California and is scheduled to go on through early in October.



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Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett

Dubbed “The Stadium Tour,” this lineup of 1980s hard-rock giants is slated to go forward in 2021 after being halted in 2020. We knew Motley Crue was not quite ready to call it quits a few years back, and here it is back on the road — sharing headline status with Def Leppard for the summer. The tour is scheduled to begin in Nashville in mid-June and conclude in mid-September.



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My Chemical Romance

The highly anticipated MCR reunion tour was postponed in 2020, but the plan is to make it happen in 2021. If all goes well on that front, the tour hopes to kick off in mid-June in the United Kingdom, then travel most of the summer through Europe. According to the band’s official website, the U.S. leg of the tour would begin in Philadelphia on Sept. 8 and go throughout the fall.



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New Order and Pet Shop Boys

Fans of 1980s techno and alternative pop were definitely excited about this live double-dip in 2020. That did not work out, so the hope is that 2021 will deliver. These ’80s staples are said to be co-headlining a tour that opens in North American on Sept. 18, but the fact that New Order is playing live shows on the continent is truly special and something to obviously look forward to if we’re all safe and healthy.



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Primus

After twice postponing its “Tribute to King’s Tour,” Primus hopes a third time is a charm in 2021. With the likes of the underrated Wolfmother providing support, Les Claypool and Co. plan to play Rush’s A Farewell to Kings album in its entirety during gigs amid a concert run that is scheduled to get underway on June 9 in Houston and end at the famed Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA on Aug. 20.



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Rage Against the Machine

Back and ready to rage, RATM was forced to halt its “Public Service Announcement Tour” last March. To the band’s credit, it did not waste much time in announcing its return to the stage in 2021. If COVID-19 is controlled and concerts are a go in ’21, Rage will be kicking things off in El Paso, Texas on June 3. Reunion tours can be hit or miss, but most hard rock/rap/alternative fans can agree that this is one run that should be celebrated.



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Harry Styles

There’s reason to be excited about welcoming Harry Styles’ solo “Love on Tour” to 2021. If anything, for the fact that uber-talented singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis will open his North American dates. That specific leg of the tour will begin in mid-August in Tacoma, WA. Before then, however, Styles and his pop magnitude will be available starting in mid-February in Italy and throughout Europe. No doubt, this should be one of the most successful tours of 2021.



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Taylor Swift

As we know, Taylor Swift concerts are a true experience. From the music to the wardrobe to the stage setup, it’s all part of the spectacle that one of pop music’s biggest stars is able to deliver. Originally slated to begin in April 2020, the “Lover Fest” tour is said to be rescheduled for 2021. However, as the new year begins, those dates have not yet been made public — according to her official website. 



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Tame Impala

For those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing a live show from these Australian psychedelic pop-rockers, then when we are safe to attend concerts again (ideally in 2021), make it a point to check them out. Tame Impala is ready to hit the stage again, starting in Mexico in late July 2021. After that, it’s across the border to the U.S. (and eventually Canada) through the middle of October.



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James Taylor and Jackson Browne

While this officially is James Taylor’s tour (with His All-Star Band), Browne is taking part as a very special guest. With that, brings together two of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. Old school rockers and classic pop fans should be thrilled for this tour, which hopes to begin in the middle of May in New Orleans. If we’re relatively safe and clear of COVID-19, the tour should run into October.



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The Weeknd

One of the biggest R&B/pop stars going right now, The Weeknd was set to take the world of live entertainment by storm in all his glory during 2020. That will have to wait until 2021 when he is expected to take the stage. “The After Hours Tour” is scheduled to start in his home country of Canada, with two June shows in Vancouver. That North American run will go into early September before he heads to Europe.



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