Pete Townshend Predicts the Who Will Do a 'Final Tour'

Pete Townshend has commented on the Who’s future, suggesting the legendary act may get back on the road for an extensive farewell tour.

“It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do,” the rocker explained to The New York Times, “and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die.”

The ever-candid guitarist admitted a final trek for the Who would be less about legacy and more about finances.

“I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with the Who,” Townshend confessed. “If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”

What Has Pete Townshend Previously Said About Retiring?

Townshend’s latest comments add a new layer of intrigue into the Who’s next steps. At the end of 2023, the guitarist suggested he and vocalist Roger Daltry needed to get together and agree on a game plan.

“I think it’s time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next,” Townshend noted. “Because [the final 2023 tour stop] shouldn’t feel like the end of anything, but it feels like the end of an era.”

At that time, Townshend said that any future touring plans would depend on “what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun.”

In 2022, Townshend appeared to be eying the end of touring life.

“I don’t want to be like one of these guys that dies on tour,” he explained to Rolling Stone. "Roger is of the opinion that he wants to sing until he drops. That’s not my philosophy of life. There are other things that I want to do, still want to do, and will do, I hope. I hope I’ll live long enough to do them."