A legendary metal band is confirming plans to retire after a farewell tour.
Megadeth singer Dave Mustaine talked about the group’s impending retirement in a new interview with SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.” The thrash metal rockers will release a final album, “Megadeth,” on Jan. 23, 2026, and then hit the road one last time starting in February in Canada.
“It had been a long time coming — just physical stuff that was going on with my hands,“ Mustaine told Eddie Trunk. ”My hands were letting me down. And there were other things that were difficult because of all the stuff going on in my neck and my trunk. All that area there has arthritis and it has discs that are bulging. I’ve got a broken lumbar bone. Of course, you know I have my back fused, up by my shoulders, by my neck. And just a lot of stuff.”
Mustaine said he told his manager that his hands were “really hurting,” which turned into a conversation about having “one last really good tour.”
“I always said when it got to the point where I was unable to give a hundred percent every night, that’s when I was gonna start considering winding down,” he continued. “The thing is we’re an American band, but we play everywhere. So it’s not like we just are weekend warriors, like country acts here in the States. We’ve got a lot of touring to do in order to do our farewell properly.”
Megadeth currently has more than 50 tour dates scheduled in 2026, including summer concerts in Toronto, Ontario; Harrison, N.J.; and Hershey, Pa. Tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats and StubHub.
Mustaine, 64, told Kerrang! magazine last week that if the last album does well, Megadeth could “easily” continue the farewell tour for up to five years. But once they’re done, they’re done.
“I’m not caught up in longevity and stuff like that, and being one of those guys who can play until he’s in his 80s,” he told Kerrang! “I have to remember that people live and they die… And I need to take good care of myself.”
Dave Mustaine (right) and Kiko Loureiro from Megadeth open for Five Finger Death Punch at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview Sept. 20, 2022. Mark McGauley | Contributing photographer
Mustaine also told Trunk that he understands why some veteran artists keep playing longer than they should — money, mostly — but described himself and the band as financially secure. However, he may continue doing music without Megadeth.
“Now, when I think about, what am I gonna do after I hang the guitar up, that’s in relation to touring, and I believe that I’m going to keep doing music in some way, shape or form. But not in the fashion that I was doing with Megs because if I can’t do it and I need to stop playing with my first love, I’m not gonna go out and try and do it again with someone else,” Mustaine said.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the first single from the upcoming album will be released this fall. Mustaine is also set to release a memoir next year.
Mustaine, who also a memoir coming out next year, formed Megadeth in 1983 after being fired from Metallica before the latter recorded its debut album. Both bands, along with Slayer and Anthrax, are considered the four biggest acts in the metal subgenre known as thrash metal.
Megadeth is a Grammy-winning band known for songs like “Symphony of Destruction,” “Tornado of Souls,” “Peace Sells,” “A Tout Le Monde” and ”Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of their debut album, “Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!”