The Eagles set ‘swan song’ with Long Goodbye farewell tour

The Eagles are ready to fly one last time, soaring for a farewell tour this fall to cap off their five decades of touring.

“The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds,” the “Hotel California” and “Desperado” hitmakers said in a Thursday statement.

“We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle.”

The Los Angeles-formed rock band — eternally associated with the Southern California country-rock sound — will launch their Long Goodbye tour in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sept. 7, announcing 12 additional dates Thursday with the possibility of more to come. However, no California dates have yet been announced.

“The official farewell tour is currently in the planning stages. We want to give all our fans a chance to see us on this final round. So, scheduling information will be released as dates are set,” said the band, whose current lineup includes drummer and vocalist Don Henley, famed guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist Timothy B. Schmit and guitarist Vince Gill. Gill joined the band after founding member and guitarist Glenn Frey died at 67 in 2016. (Frey’s son Deacon also played with the band for nearly five years before announcing his departure in 2022.)

“The difficulties of booking venues for multiple nights may require us to return to certain cities, depending on demand. But, we hope to see as many of you as we can, before we finish up,” they said. “Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”

The six-time Grammy Award-winning group and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will be joined by contemporary act Steely Dan, whose members will be commemorating their own half-century spanning career as well.

The bands have scheduled shows through mid-November in Boston, Newark, Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., Lexington, Ky., and St. Paul, Minn. The full schedule can be found here. The Long Goodbye tour follows their recently expanded Hotel California tour, named for their landmark 1976 album that they played in its entirety during the tour, which wrapped in Baltimore in April.

Presale tickets and VIP packages for the Long Goodbye will be made available July 12 for all announced shows. General on-sale begins July 14.