The Stray Cats were about to rock the U.S. in the fall of 2025 when the rockabilly trio were forced to cancel the trek because frontman Brian Setzer was dealing with a “serious illness.”
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Well, now Setzer has revealed he’s healthy again, and the band has announced dates for a 2026 U.S. summer tour. The cross-country outing is scheduled to kick off July 24 in Las Vegas and is plotted out through an August 16 concert in Morristown, New Jersey.
Fifteen initial shows have been confirmed, while details about at least three additional concerts are expected soon. Tickets for the just-announced dates go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 13, at 10 a.m. local time. A fan club presale will begin on Tuesday, March 10, at 10 a.m. local time. You can sign up for the Stray Cats newsletter at Artistic.io to access those tickets.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets early also may want to check out StubHub.
The band will be playing a set packed with its classic songs, including “Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town,” “(She’s) Sexy + 17,” and much more. The Stray Cats most recent tour took place in August 2024.
Statements from The Stray Cats’ Three Members
The Stray Cats’ three members all issued statements about the upcoming tour.
“It’s good to be healthy and strong again,” Setzer said. “There’s something about the unique sound of The Stray Cats that keeps drawing me in. The Gretsch guitar, the acoustic bass, and the stand-up drums still sound pure and fresh today. Come on out and have some fun with us this summer.”
Bassist Lee Rocker added, “The Stray Cats are back and ready to blast off! It’s an amazing feeling to join up with Brian and [drummer] Slim [Jim Phantom], hit the stage and Rock across America. No one can do it like us Cats … nobody comes close”
Phantom, meanwhile, enthused, “With The Stray Cats, there’s always some extra magic around the summertime shows. It’s the perfect time for the Cats & Kittens to get dolled up, put the top down & cruise to the greatest Rockabilly show on earth!”
New Stray Cats Release for Record Store Day
The Stray Cats also recently announced plans to release a special limited-edition vinyl live album as part of the 2026 Record Store Day event.
Rumble In Brixton will get its debut release on vinyl on April 18. The two-LP collection will be pressed on red and white vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve. It will be packaged with an exclusive poster.
Rumble In Brixton captures a 2004 performance by The Stray Cats at the famed London venue the Brixton Academy. The album originally was issued as a two-CD set in November 2004. A DVD of the show was released at the same time.
Latest New Music from The Stray Cats
In October 2025, the band released two brand-new songs that were intended to coincide with the launch of the canceled tour. The tunes were a new original, “Stampede,” and a cover of late rockabilly legend Eddie Cochran’s 1959 song “Teenage Heaven.” The tracks were the first new studio recordings The Stray Cats released since their 2019 album, 40.
“Stampede” and “Teenage Heaven” were both produced by The Stray Cats and mixed by respected studio engineer Chris Lord-Alge.
Setzer co-wrote “Stampede” with Peter B. Antonio, Wally Zober, and Bert Salmirs. “Teenage Heaven” was co-written by Cochran and Jerry Capehart. Both tracks are available as digital downloads and via streaming services.
Regarding Setzer’s Illness
In early 2025, Setzer announced that he was dealing with an autoimmune disease that affected his hands and made it impossible for him to play guitar. By April of last year, Brian seemed to have recovered fully and announced that he was excited to tour again with The Stray Cats. That month, he posted a message and video on his social media pages revealing that he’d regained much of his guitar-playing ability.
It’s wasn’t made clear if the reason The Stray Cats canceled the 2025 trek was because of Setzer’s autoimmune disease.
In a statement announcing the cancellation, Setzer wrote, “I’ve been looking forward so much to being on stage with my band mates again and playing for all of our amazing fans, and I’m gutted.”
In February, Setzer posted a video on his socials of him playing great guitar at a guitar store.
The Stray Cats’ 2026 U.S. Tour Dates
July 24 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan
July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
July 26 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound
July 28 – Highland, CA @ Yaamava’ Theater
July 29 – Highland, CA @ Yaamava’ Theater
July 31 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
August 1 – Saratoga, CA @ venue to be announced
August 2 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento
August 4 – Sandy, UT @ Sandy Amphitheater
August 5 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Pikes Peak Center
August 7 – to be announced
August 8 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
August 10 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center at The Heights
August 11 – to be announced
August 12 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park Center Stage
August 14 – Westbury, NY @ Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair
August 15 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Ocean Casino Resort
August 16 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts Center
(Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns)
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