ONE LAST TIME RIDER: Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Officially Unveils Setlist for Their Highly Anticipated 2026 Farewell Tour — Dates and Cities Revealed
By Alex Rivera, Music Correspondent
October 11, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA
In a moment that’s sent shockwaves through the punk rock universe, Billie Joe Armstrong, the electrifying frontman of Green Day, took to the stage at a packed press conference in Los Angeles today to unveil the setlist and full tour dates for what the band is calling their “One Last Time Rider” – a sprawling, globe-trotting farewell tour slated for 2026. As confetti rained down and the opening chords of “Basket Case” blared from hidden speakers, Armstrong, his signature black hair tousled and eyes gleaming with a mix of nostalgia and defiance, declared, “This isn’t goodbye. It’s one last ride through the chaos we’ve created together.” The announcement, teased on social media for weeks with cryptic posters featuring highway signs and faded tour buses, marks the end of an era for one of the most influential bands in modern rock history. With over 75 million albums sold worldwide, three Grammy Awards, and a legacy that redefined punk for generations, Green Day’s decision to bow out on their own explosive terms feels both inevitable and heartbreaking.
The “One Last Time Rider” tour, produced in partnership with Live Nation, promises to be a 40-date odyssey across North America, Europe, and Asia, kicking off in the spring and wrapping up under the winter stars. It’s being billed not just as a series of concerts, but as a “punk rock pilgrimage” – a high-octane retrospective that weaves through the band’s catalog like a greatest-hits fever dream. Armstrong, flanked by bandmates Mike Dirnt on bass and Tré Cool on drums, held up a weathered scroll-like setlist during the reveal, its ink smudged as if scribbled in a tour van at 3 a.m. “We’ve poured our guts into this,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “Every song is a scar, a story, a middle finger to the suits. We’re riding out with everything we’ve got.”
At the heart of the excitement is the unveiled setlist, a 24-song powerhouse that spans Green Day’s three-decade career while nodding to their rebellious roots. Kicking off with the raw urgency of “American Idiot” – the title track from their 2004 rock opera that skyrocketed them to stadium status – the show dives straight into the fray. Expect the anthemic “Basket Case” next, that jittery ‘90s staple from Dookie that turned suburban angst into a global sing-along. The pace doesn’t let up: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” will deliver its brooding guitar riff, evoking late-night drives and shattered illusions, followed by the holiday-tinged irony of “Holiday,” a track that skewers patriotism with biting lyrics.
Mid-set, the energy shifts to intimate reflection with “When I Come Around,” the slacker anthem from Dookie that’s become a staple for awkward crushes and road-trip playlists. Then comes “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” the acoustic ballad that’s soundtracked countless weddings, graduations, and tearful farewells – a poignant choice for a tour waving goodbye. Dirnt grinned during the reveal, admitting, “We’ll probably butcher the tempo on purpose, just to keep it punk.” The firepower returns with “21 Guns,” the soaring plea for peace from 21st Century Breakdown, before “Welcome to Paradise,” the gritty opener from their 1994 breakthrough that captures the thrill of escaping small-town boredom.
Longview’s bass-driven slacker vibe leads into “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” the epic closer from American Idiot that’s as much a war protest as a personal elegy. Filling out the list are deep cuts like “Jesus of Suburbia” for the die-hards, a cover of The Who’s “My Generation” as a nod to their influences, and surprise encores that could include rarities like “Minority” or tracks from their 2024 album The Saviors. “We’re leaving room for the unexpected,” Cool quipped. “Maybe a fan onstage, maybe a fireworks malfunction – that’s the Green Day way.” The setlist clocks in at about two and a half hours, with pyrotechnics, confetti cannons, and a massive LED screen flashing archival footage of mosh pits from the ’90s to now.
But the real fuel for fan frenzy? The dates and cities, a route map that’s equal parts nostalgia trip and victory lap. The North American leg launches March 5 at the iconic Forum in Los Angeles – a full-circle moment, as it’s where Green Day cut their teeth in the early days. From there, it’s a coast-to-coast blitz: March 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the roar of 20,000 voices will echo the band’s big-apple breakthroughs; March 19 in Chicago at the United Center, channeling the Windy City’s gritty underbelly; March 26 in Miami at the Kaseya Center, bringing tropical heat to punk’s cool detachment.
April heats up with stops in Dallas (April 2, American Airlines Center), Atlanta (April 9, State Farm Arena), and Philadelphia (April 16, Wells Fargo Center) – cities that have hosted some of Green Day’s wildest shows. May brings Seattle (May 7, Climate Pledge Arena), Boston (May 14, TD Garden), San Francisco (May 21, Chase Center – a Bay Area homecoming), and Houston (May 28, Toyota Center). June rolls through Phoenix (June 4, Footprint Center), Portland (June 11, Moda Center), Minneapolis (June 18, Target Center), and Detroit (June 25, Little Caesars Arena).
The summer sprint continues in July: St. Louis (July 2, Enterprise Center), Orlando (July 9, Kia Center), Indianapolis (July 16, Gainbridge Fieldhouse), and Denver (July 23, Ball Arena). August amps the vibes with Charlotte (August 6, Spectrum Center), Pittsburgh (August 13, PPG Paints Arena), Austin (August 20, Moody Center), and Salt Lake City (August 27, Delta Center). September heads west again: San Diego (September 3, Pechanga Arena), Las Vegas (September 10, T-Mobile Arena), and Tampa (September 17, Amalie Arena).
October’s got Raleigh (October 1, PNC Arena), Columbus (October 8, Nationwide Arena), Buffalo (October 15, KeyBank Center), and Milwaukee (October 22, Fiserv Forum). The U.S. finale looms in November: Baltimore (November 5, CFG Bank Arena), Washington D.C. (November 12, Capital One Arena), Albuquerque (November 19, Isleta Amphitheater), and Tucson (November 26, Rio Tinto Stadium).
But Green Day isn’t content with domestic domination – the international leg catapults them overseas for a punk global takeover. December starts strong in Mexico City (December 3, Foro Sol), where mariachi-infused encores could steal the show. Then it’s Rio de Janeiro (December 10, Maracanã Stadium), a samba-punk fusion under Brazil’s stars. Wrapping the year: Sydney (December 17, Accor Stadium) and Berlin (December 24, Olympiastadion) for a Christmas Eve blowout that promises fireworks and frost.
Tickets go on presale for fan club members starting October 18, with general sales hitting platforms like Ticketmaster on October 25. Prices start at $89 for lawn seats, scaling to $299 for VIP packages that include meet-and-greets, limited-edition vinyl, and a “Rider’s Journal” – a custom notebook for scribbling setlist tweaks or tour-bus confessions. “We’re capping it at one last ride,” Armstrong emphasized. “No encores beyond this. We’ve given everything – now it’s your turn to scream it back.”
The announcement comes at a pivotal time for Green Day. Fresh off their 2024 “Saviors Tour,” which grossed over $100 million and drew 1.5 million fans, the band has hinted at this farewell since Armstrong’s 2023 memoir Payback’s a Bitch. Formed in 1987 in the East Bay suburbs of San Francisco, Green Day – then just Billie Joe, Mike, and original drummer John Kiffmeyer (later replaced by Cool) – channeled Reagan-era malaise into DIY anthems. Dookie (1994) exploded them from Gilman Street punks to MTV darlings, selling 20 million copies on the back of “Longview” and “Basket Case.” American Idiot (2004) was their operatic gut-punch against the Iraq War, earning a Tony for its Broadway adaptation. Albums like Warning (2000) and 21st Century Breakdown (2009) evolved their sound, blending pop, folk, and electronica without losing the snarl.
Yet, this tour feels like closure. Armstrong, now 53, spoke candidly about burnout: “Thirty years of buses, breakdowns, and breakthroughs – it’s time to park the van.” Dirnt echoed the sentiment, praising the setlist’s balance: “It’s not just hits; it’s the heart. Songs that saved us, songs that broke us.” Cool, ever the joker, added, “And if we mess up ‘Brain Stew,’ blame the jet lag.”
Fans are already mobilizing. Social media lit up post-announcement, with #OneLastTimeRider trending worldwide. “From ‘39/Smooth’ basement shows to this? Tears,” tweeted @PunkDad87 from Oakland. In Berlin, local promoter Klaus Weber called it “the punk Woodstock we’ve waited for.” Even skeptics – those who griped about Green Day’s stadium shift – concede: this farewell could reclaim their edge.
As the presser ended with an impromptu acoustic “Good Riddance,” the room – packed with journalists, superfans, and industry vets – stood in silent ovation. One Last Time Rider isn’t just a tour; it’s a manifesto. Green Day, the boys who made rebellion anthemic, are riding into the sunset on their terms. Grab your tickets, dust off your studs, and prepare to mosh one final time. The highway’s calling – and it’s paved with broken dreams.
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