Brian May has said Queen refuse to tour in the US, reasoning that the country is a “dangerous place”.
The legendary band last hit the road in North America in 2023, as part of their “ambitious” ‘Rhapsody Tour’ with Adam Lambert.
However, May ruled out a live return to the States any time soon during a new interview with the Daily Mail. “America is a dangerous place at the moment, so you have to take that into account,” the guitarist explained.
Reflecting on how the US had changed since Queen first visited in their early days, May continued: “It’s very sad because I feel like Queen grew up in America and we love it, but it’s not what it was.
“Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment.”
The musician’s comments come amid a troubling period in the US. Many artists and figures from the entertainment world have spoken out recently, as protests continue against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents, in particular, have triggered outrage across the States. ICE has described its highly controversial actions in Minnesota as “the largest mass deportation operation in American history”.
Celebrities who have condemned ICE and President Donald Trump include Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Green Day, Neil Young, Moby, Zara Larsson, musician and Stranger Things star Joe Keery, Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal, Duran Duran, Dave Matthews and more.
Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen has shared a new single, ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’, in tribute to the city, and in protest against Trump and ICE. Billy Bragg has also released a track, ‘City Of Heroes’, in “tribute to the bravery of the people of Minneapolis”.
In 2020, Queen said they were in an “uphill battle” to stop Trump from using their music in his election campaign. The group had blocked the POTUS from using their hit ‘We Will Rock You’ in 2019, and previously locked horns with Trump in 2016.
Meanwhile, May said earlier this month that Queen would not headline Glastonbury Festival “because of the politics of the people who run it”. He cited founder Michael Eavis’ support of badger culling over the years.
“Unless that changes, I won’t do it,” May continued.
He revealed last autumn that Queen had worked on some new material with Lambert, and said they had considered bringing their live show to The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. “ I’m very keen on the Sphere,” May explained. “It’s got my mind working.”
May’s wife Anita Dobson implied last month that, despite Queen working on new music, it was unlikely that they would resume full-scale touring. “They will do little bits and bobs, but they won’t do those big tours,” she said.
May suffered a minor stroke in 2024, which he said came on “all of a sudden, out of the blue”. He explained that it left him without any control over one of his arms, and described it as “a little scary”. Last November, May said his health issues had served as a “wake-up call”.
Over the Christmas period, Queen released a never-before-heard festive song, ‘Not For Sale (Polar Bear)’. The band were named as the UK’s most-played rock act of the 21st century back in October.
Queen’s ‘Rhapsody Tour’ came to the UK and Europe in 2022. Their most recent live shows took place in Asia in early 2024.
