Megadeth just made saying goodbye a lot more complicated. The thrash titans announced 12 Canadian headlining dates for their farewell world tour, stretching from Victoria’s Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on February 15 to Quebec City’s Videotron Centre on March 6, 2026. Supporting acts Anthrax and Exodus turn these shows into proper thrash summits—like assembling the Avengers, but with more distortion pedals and fewer corporate sponsors.
Five Years of Farewell Makes Perfect Sense
Dave Mustaine‘s timeline reveals the touring industry’s elastic definition of “final.”
Here’s where things get wonderfully absurd. Dave Mustaine admits this “farewell” could stretch five years, stating about the extended timeline: “If we’re going to be doing it for that long then, shit, I’ll be looking at the birthday I don’t even want to think about!” The band’s self-titled final album drops January 23, 2026, featuring new tracks “Tipping Point” and “I Don’t Care,” plus a cover of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning”—a nod to Mustaine’s early involvement with his former bandmates before Megadeth’s formation.
Tickets hit general sale Friday, with fan club presales already live through the official Megadeth website. This Canadian run launches a worldwide victory lap including Mexico, South America, and European festivals where Megadeth opens for Iron Maiden—a role reversal that speaks to metal’s evolving hierarchy.
From Big Four to Final Four Minutes
Forty years of Megadeth reaches its conclusion with global ambitions intact.
The current lineup of Mustaine (vocals/guitar), Teemu Mäntysaari (guitar), James LoMenzo (bass), and Dirk Verbeuren (drums) represents Megadeth’s final form, carrying four decades of “Big Four” thrash legacy into arenas that witnessed their rise. This farewell tour marks the end of a journey that began in 1983 when Mustaine formed Megadeth after his departure from Metallica, ultimately shaping one of thrash metal’s most influential voices among influential rock albums.
Metal’s Memory Keepers Take Their Bow
Genre-defining pioneers offer fans multiple chances to witness history’s end.
Your last chance to see Megadeth might actually be your last several dozen chances, spread across continents and years. For metal fans, that’s not contradiction—it’s mercy. When a band helped define your entire musical worldview, saying goodbye deserves more than one night. Mustaine understands this instinctively, stretching farewell into something resembling a proper sendoff for both band and genre, ensuring that one of thrash metal’s founding fathers receives the extended celebration their legacy demands.
