Most heritage acts announce a farewell tour. ZZ Top just announced three separate tours happening simultaneously.
The blues-rock legends dropped 19 new U.S. dates for “The Big One!” starting March 21, 2026 in Abilene, Texas. But that’s just one piece of an absurdly complex touring puzzle that includes Billy Gibbons’ solo BFG Band winter run, a co-headlining “Dos Amigos” tour with Dwight Yoakam, and a 23-date European leg spanning nine countries.
Do the math: 57 total dates across multiple time zones, like some kind of rock ‘n’ roll logistics fever dream.
Three Tours, One Band, Infinite Texas Swagger
ZZ Top’s 2026 schedule requires a spreadsheet to track properly.
The complexity starts in January with Gibbons’ BFG Band hitting intimate venues from California’s Belly Up Tavern to New York’s City Winery. These smaller shows span from Napa’s Uptown Theatre through Denver’s Paramount Theatre, wrapping February 28 in Atlanta.
Then ZZ Top proper kicks off “The Big One!” in March, weaving through Texas, Louisiana, and the Midwest while simultaneously playing Dos Amigos shows with country star Dwight Yoakam. Think of it as musical multitasking on steroids.
The Yoakam pairing makes strategic sense. Both acts draw from similar wells of American roots music, and their combined fanbase spans generations. Venues like Alabama’s Orion Amphitheater and Kansas’ Azura Amphitheater suggest solid audience expectations for this cross-genre experiment.
The Secret to Staying Power Without New Material
ZZ Top proves catalog strength trumps fresh releases in the touring game.
Here’s the remarkable part: ZZ Top hasn’t released a studio album since 2012, yet they’re booking arenas across two continents. That’s the power of songs like “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man” — they’ve achieved that rare status where the hits have transcended their original era.
Frank Beard’s return to the touring lineup after foot and ankle issues adds stability to their rhythm section. According to Billy Gibbons, extensive touring “feels like home” for the band, and they’re committed to “keep on keeping on” as long as audiences respond.
Translation: retirement isn’t on the horizon.
The European leg runs through midsummer, hitting festivals like Netherlands’ Bospop alongside headline shows from Helsinki to Barcelona. For a band approaching its sixth decade, ZZ Top continues treating the road like their natural habitat — and proving that some musical formulas never require updating.
