Sting Announces Massive 90-Date 'Sting 3.0' World Tour for 2026

Sting is embarking on one of the most ambitious touring schedules of his late career, announcing a massive 90-date global itinerary for his 'Sting 3.0' World Tour in 2026. The 17-time Grammy winner will cross four continents, bringing a stripped-down, high-energy format to both historic theaters and major arenas.[1][2]

The 'Sting 3.0' concept represents a deliberate pivot from the massive orchestral arrangements and sprawling backing bands that have characterized much of his recent solo touring. Instead, the 74-year-old rock icon is returning to the raw, urgent format that originally launched his career: the power trio.[1][3][4]

Joining Sting, who handles lead vocals and bass, are two formidable collaborators. Dominic Miller, Sting's longtime virtuoso guitarist and right-hand man, provides the melodic framework, while dynamic drummer Chris Maas—known for his work with Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers—anchors the rhythm section.[1][6]

This tight three-piece arrangement forces a complete reinterpretation of Sting's vast catalog. Without the cushion of backup singers or synthesizers, the trio delivers a powerful, intimate concert experience that strips both his solo hits and classic tracks from The Police down to their essential rock foundations.[1][5]

The sheer scale of the 2026 itinerary is staggering, mixing traditional tour routing with extended, multi-night residencies in historic venues. The spring North American leg kicks off in May, winding through the South and East Coast before culminating in a highly unusual nine-performance residency at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.[2]

Following the spring dates, the trio will embark on a massive 22-city summer festival circuit across Europe. This European leg includes stops in Croatia, Spain, and Scandinavia, and features an unprecedented 19-show residency at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam, complete with multiple matinee performances.[2]

The newly announced fall North American leg will bring the tour back across the Atlantic, beginning with a two-night stand at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre on October 5 and 6. The fall route covers major markets including Seattle, Minneapolis, Montreal, and St. Louis, before heading down the East Coast.[1][3][4]

A major highlight of the fall leg is a six-night mini-residency at the Brooklyn Paramount in November. The historic 1928 venue, which once hosted jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, recently reopened and provides the exact acoustic intimacy the Sting 3.0 format demands.[1][4][5]

Adding a layer of family legacy to the Brooklyn residency, the special guest opener will be Fiction Plane. The rock band is fronted by Sting's son, Joe Sumner, making the multi-night New York stand a rare multi-generational showcase.[2][4][5]

To accompany the global trek, Sting has released a new live album, STING 3.0 LIVE, available digitally and on 180-gram vinyl. The record captures the trio's raw live energy and features a collection of greatest hits, including a never-before-released live version of 'Be Still My Beating Heart' and a live cut of his 1987 single 'Fragile.'[1][5][6]

The tour also highlights new material specifically inspired by the trio's dynamic. Sting's latest single, 'I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart),' was mixed by four-time Grammy-winning engineer Robert Orton and was explicitly born out of the tight, urgent interplay between Sting, Miller, and Maas.[1][5][6]

The massive solo tour arrives amid a flurry of financial and legal housekeeping regarding his past work. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Sting paid his former Police bandmates, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, over $800,000 in royalties following a 2025 lawsuit, underscoring the immense, ongoing commercial power of the catalog the trio is currently performing.[3]

While the Sting 3.0 tour prioritizes mid-sized theaters and intimate residencies, Sting is not entirely abandoning stadium spectacles in 2026. He is concurrently scheduled to play a string of massive co-headlining stadium dates with Billy Joel, proving his unique ability to scale his performance from a 3,000-seat theater to a 65,000-seat football stadium in the same year.[2][5]

Ultimately, the Sting 3.0 tour represents a masterclass in legacy artist touring. By stripping away the excess and focusing on elite musicianship, Sting is proving that a rock legend doesn't need a massive backing track to command a global audience—just a bass, two world-class collaborators, and a catalog of timeless hits.[1][2][4]