Your guide to the biggest rock, metal, and hard rock tours hitting venues across North America this month.
September brings an absolute onslaught of legendary tours wrapping up their stadium runs and hitting amphitheaters across the country. Foo Fighters close out their massive Take Cover Tour with Queens of the Stone Age, Iron Maiden celebrates 50 years with their Run For Your Lives tour alongside Megadeth and Anthrax, and Guns N' Roses continues their stadium domination with a diverse lineup of openers including Ice Cube, The Black Crowes, and Pierce The Veil.
The shock rock circus rolls on with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson bringing the Freaks on Parade tour to amphitheaters nationwide, while classic rock royalty Deep Purple teams up with Kansas for an arena run. Mötley Crüe keeps the party going with Tesla and Extreme in tow, and Metallica begins their Sphere residency in Las Vegas at month's end.
Whether you're chasing stadium spectacle or intimate amphitheater energy, September has you covered from coast to coast.
The Foo Fighters close out their massive Take Cover Tour with a run through the northern US and Canada, bringing Queens of the Stone Age and Mannequin Pussy along for stadium-sized singalongs. Dave Grohl and company are wrapping up their first major tour with drummer Ilan Rubin, and these final shows promise to be celebrations of everything that makes the Foos one of rock's most reliable live acts. Expect deep cuts, new material, and the kind of energy that's kept them selling out stadiums for decades.
▶ Watch Mark's episode on Foo FightersIron Maiden celebrates 50 years of metal mastery with the Run For Your Lives tour, focusing their setlist on the first nine albums that cemented their legacy. Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, and the rest of the Maiden machine bring Megadeth and Anthrax along for what might be the most stacked metal package of the decade. This is the tour where classics like "The Trooper," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and "Aces High" get the celebration they deserve, played in stadiums and amphitheaters packed with generations of metalheads.
▶ Watch Mark's episode on Iron MaidenGuns N' Roses rolls through September with a diverse lineup of supporting acts that keeps every night fresh. Ice Cube joins them at the Rose Bowl, The Black Crowes open in San Diego, and Pierce The Veil brings the intensity in Texas. Axl, Slash, and Duff continue to prove they can still pack stadiums and deliver marathon sets filled with classics and new material. With rotating openers and different vibes at every stop, this is the GNR tour for fans who want variety alongside the hits.
Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson reunite for their fourth co-headlining tour, bringing the Freaks on Parade circus to amphitheaters across North America. Mongolian folk metal sensation The Hu and industrial rock veterans Orgy round out a package that promises maximum spectacle and zero subtlety. Both headliners are masters of the theatrical rock show, and this tour delivers exactly what you expect: pyro, costumes, controversy, and hits from "Dragula" to "The Beautiful People."
▶ Watch Mark's episode on Marilyn MansonDeep Purple and Kansas team up for a classic rock double bill that brings together two of the genre's most enduring acts. Deep Purple continues to showcase why "Smoke on the Water" remains one of the most recognizable riffs in rock history, while Kansas delivers prog-rock precision with "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind." This tour hits arenas across the Southeast, giving fans a chance to hear decades of hits performed by the musicians who wrote them.
▶ Watch Mark's episode on Deep PurpleMötley Crüe keeps the party rolling through September with Tesla and Extreme in tow for a triple bill of hard rock excess. Vince, Nikki, Tommy, and Mick continue to deliver the hits that defined the Sunset Strip era, while Tesla brings blue-collar hard rock anthems and Extreme showcases the kind of guitar virtuosity that made "More Than Words" a crossover smash. This is arena rock done right, with enough pyro, hits, and guitar solos to satisfy even the most demanding fans of the genre.