Judas Priest Announce Rescheduled 50th-Anniversary Tour Dates
Judas Priest are heading out to the highway this fall for their rescheduled 50th-anniversary tour with support from Swedish power-metal veterans Sabaton.
The metal gods’ extensive 50 Heavy Metal Years trek kicks off on Sept. 8 in Reading, Penn., and wraps on Nov. 5 in Hamilton, Ontario. Tickets go on sale to the general public on June 11 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.
“Defending the heavy metal faith for 50 years, the Priest is back!” singer Rob Halford said in a press release.
The frontman recently urged fans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in an Instagram video. “Common sense states that by having the jab, we’re opening up one of the most important areas that we have so desperately missed, which is being side by side, horns way up at clubs, theaters, arenas and festivals where who we are and what we live for is tangible and real with the bands we love,” he said.
Judas Priest were originally set to hit the road on their 50th-anniversary tour last September. They announced the trek in late February 2020, only a couple weeks before the pandemic halted live music.
The current Judas Priest lineup consists of classic-era members Halford, bassist Ian Hill and guitarist Glenn Tipton, along with drummer Scott Travis and guitarist Richie Faulkner. Tipton has toured in a limited capacity since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, with guitarist and producer Andy Sneap filling in.
It sounds like Tipton will participate in some capacity on the 50th-anniversary trek, though. The guitarist said in a press release, “Time to don the leather and studs and roll out the Priest Machine — celebrating our 50 heavy metal years!!”
Judas Priest released their most recent studio album, Firepower, in 2018. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, a career best for the metal titans.
You can see Judas Priest's rescheduled 50th-anniversary tour dates below.
Judas Priest 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour
Sept. 8 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena*
Sept. 9 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*+
Sept. 11 - Orlando, FL - Central Florida Fairgrounds^#
Sept. 13 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 14 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater*
Sept. 16 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena*
Sept. 17 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre^
Sept. 19 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre*
Sept. 20 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre*
Sept. 22 - Milwaukee, WI - Miller High Life Theatre^
Sept. 23 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory*
Sept. 25 - Maryland Heights, MO - Saint Louis Music Park
Sept. 26 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival^#
Sept. 29 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom^
Sept. 30 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center*
Oct. 2 - Everett, WA - Angel Of The Winds Arena*
Oct. 3 - Portland, OR - Moda Center*
Oct. 5 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater^
Oct. 6 - Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater^
Oct. 8 - Las Vegas, NV - Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood
Oct. 9 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Federal Theatre
Oct. 12 - San Antonio, TX - Freeman Coliseum^
Oct. 13 - Cedar Park, TX - HEB Center Cedar Park^
Oct. 15 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Oct. 16 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Zoo Amphitheatre^
Oct. 19 - Independence, MO - Cable Dahmer Arena*
Oct. 21 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium*
Oct. 22 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
Oct. 24 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center Coliseum*
Oct. 25 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met*
Oct. 27 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center*
Oct. 28 - Oxon Hill, MD - The Theater at MGM National Harbor
Oct. 30 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Resort Casino - Grand Theater^
Oct. 31 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell*
Nov. 2 - Halifax, NS - Scotiabank Centre*
Nov. 4 - Laval, QC - Place Bell*
Nov. 5 - Hamilton, ONT - First Ontario Centre*
* new show
^ not a Live Nation event
# festival date
+ Sabaton not support on this date; support is to be determined