Seeing the Rolling Stones live in concert is one of the great joys in life. Having been playing live for over 60 years, they have played to (as a conservative estimate) around 45 million people. 45 million people that are all able to say “I’ve seen the Rolling Stones live” – are you in that club?
The thing is, most of the people that are in that club would happily go and see the Rolling Stones again, and those that have never done it feel (justifiably) that they should. All of this means that Rolling Stones tickets are quite difficult to come by.
In this blog we’re going to look at how you can get tickets for the next Rolling Stones tour, so you are fully prepared when the next tour is announced. We’ll have a quick look at some previous tours, to give you an idea of what to expect, and also look at the various Rolling Stones VIP tickets that might be available.
A (brief) history of the Rolling Stones
People have written entire books about the history of the Rolling Stones, and unfortunately, we don’t have the space here. So here is a very quick look at the band, just to give you an idea of the phenomenon that we are dealing with here.
It all started in the early 1960’s. Childhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards formed a garage band with another of Jagger’s friends, Dick Taylor, and two others – Alan Etherington and Bob Beckwith. They called themselves the Blues Boys, and while at the Ealing Jazz Club they met Brian Jones, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts. After a bit of jostling between groups, eventually they settled into one band, featuring Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart, Taylor and Tony Chapman, who played drums. Jones was the leader of the group back then, and it was him that came up with the name, inspired by a Muddy Waters song “Rollin’ Stone”.
The first ever Rolling Stone gig was on the 12th of July 1962, at the Marquee Club, London. Soon after Taylor left the band to pursue his studies, and he was replaced by Bill Wyman. Charlie Watts then replaced Chapman on drums in 1963, and the ‘classic’ Rolling Stones line up was complete! By this point, they were already rapidly increasing in popularity, and in 1964 two surveys (that’s how popularity was measured back then apparently) voted them the number one band in the UK, surpassing the Beatles!
They had a manager (the flamboyant Andrew Loog Oldham), who decided to work on their image – they were to contrast with that of the Beatles. Long hair and rugged clothing – they were uncouth, they had an edge. They were a proper rock and roll band, at a time when people were still trying to understand what that meant.
They were the first band to play on Top of the Pops, they toured America (although not very successfully as they were still waiting for a hit record to help them reach a wider audience) and they began appearing on TV a bit more. Their first number one was a cover of Bobby and Shirley Womack’s “It’s All Over Now” in 1964.
In 1965 the Rolling Stones released their second EP, The Rolling Stones No. 2, and that’s when things really took off! They followed it up with the single (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction which was their fourth number one in under a year. They’d cracked America by now too, and spent the next few years enjoying sell out-concerts on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as weeks and weeks at the top of the charts. Ruby Tuesday, Sympathy for the Devil, Honky Tonk Women, Street Fighting Man, Jumping Jack Flash – it was hit after hit.
The 60s ended with Jones leaving the band, and then tragically dying a month later. His drug use had made it impossible for him to continue in the band, and it is thought that is what also led to his death.
The 70s involved lots of legal wrangling around drugs and taxes, but also a hell of a lot of hits and tour dates as well. The album Sticky Fingers, featuring Wild Horses and Brown Sugar, came out in 1971 – the first of 8 consecutive US number one albums. They were recording all over Europe by this time, with It’s Only Rock’ n Roll recorded in Munich in 1974. Taylor was disillusioned by this point, and left the band to be eventually replaced by Ronnie Wood. In 1978 they released the album Some Girls, which was their most successful album of the decade. A response to punk, and a new direction for the band.
The 80s were a turbulent decade, with solo projects, rifts, and Ian Stewart’s untimely death a period that Richards has referred to as ‘World War III’. Late in the decade, though, the band reunited, and the 90s was the decade that they really established themselves as a legendary band and performers. The Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour in 1991 was their first world tour in seven years, and they had Guns N’Roses as their support act – just as an indication of how big they still were!
They have spent the last few decades focusing on their touring. Rolling Stones concert tickets have become a badge of honour – seeing one of the greatest rock n roll bands of all time, a genre of music that transcends generations, and the very epitome of living legends. The Hackney Diamonds tour in 2024, which accompanied a new album of the same name, saw them perform in front of nearly 1 million people across 20 shows in North America, finishing at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, Missouri, on the 21st July. They have hinted at extending the tour in 2025 or 2026 – will we see any UK dates?
Rolling Stones Tickets
If the Rolling Stones were to tour the UK in the near future, you can bet that they will be performing in some of the most iconic venues that the country has to offer. They’ve performed at Anfield, Wembley Stadium, the London Stadium, Hyde Park, Murrayfield, the Principality Stadium – you get the idea.
While these venues represent some of the biggest in the country, the popularity of the Rolling Stones means that tickets are still very difficult to come by. Their last UK tour in 2022 completely sold out, and the common theme is that they usually sell out within minutes of going on sale. Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of any upcoming dates, and make sure you clear your schedule for the day they are released if you want to stand any chance of getting your hands on those tickets!
Rolling Stones VIP tickets and Hospitality Packages
There is another option, though. We offer a wide range of VIP packages at venues all over the country, so while the rest of the country are stuck in a queue, praying for an opportunity to buy tickets, you can come straight to us at Events Hospitality.
Keep an eye on our website as soon as upcoming concerts are announced – we’ll have details and different ticket options available as soon as we can, so you can guarantee your place at what will certainly be a hugely popular Rolling Stones tour. We don’t know how many more we’ll get, so don’t pass up on this opportunity.
If you are interested in VIP hospitality for the Rolling Stones or any other upcoming events, get in touch with us today, and our expert team will be able to help you out.
