Ted Nugent has quietly turned his “no more extended touring” stance into a much busier 2026 concert schedule than many fans may have expected. On April 21, Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Nugent had added a dozen new shows to his summer plans, bringing his total 2026 run to 18 more dates after he had already played five shows earlier in the year.
The updated schedule begins on April 25 in Bandera, Texas, and currently runs through July 18 in Lampe, Missouri. That stretch includes multiple Texas stops, a Colorado fairgrounds date, and a dense cluster of Midwest shows in July.
Nugent had previously said farewell to extended touring after his 2023 Adios Mofos run, but he was careful not to suggest he was done performing altogether. As he put it at the time, “The musical dream will continue but I’m not going on tour anymore because hotels are jail.” He doubled down on that line, adding, “A hotel room is jail for me.”
That makes the 2026 schedule feel less like a full comeback and more like Nugent’s own version of selective road work. Even with the “no tour” language, he has already played five shows this year and has another 18 on the books, so the live pace is far from slowing down.
The first stretch of dates begins with April 25 in Bandera, Texas, at 11th Street Cowboy Bar. From there, Nugent moves through May 1 in Leander, Texas, May 2 in Buda, Texas, May 9 in Waco, Texas, May 16 in Corpus Christi, Texas, May 22 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, May 30 in Saint Jo, Texas, and June 12 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
The summer run then picks up in Michigan with a four-show state swing: July 7 and July 8 in Lexington, Michigan, both at Lexington Village Theatre; July 10 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre; and July 11 in Paw Paw, Michigan, at Warner Vineyards.
After that, Nugent heads to July 12 in Huber Heights, Ohio, at the Rose Music Center, then continues through July 14 in Des Plaines, Illinois at The Des Plaines Theatre, July 15 in St. Charles, Illinois at The Arcada Theatre, July 16 in Marion, Illinois at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, July 17 in Effingham, Illinois at the Effingham Performance Center, and wraps the currently listed run on July 18 in Lampe, Missouri at Black Oak Amphitheater.
The article also notes another project tied to Nugent’s current activity: a full-length concert movie titled Stranglehold 50th Bash. The film, which captures an Aug. 31, 2025 Detroit performance, was being offered for sale on his website at the time of the report, with an expected May 2026 shipping date.
Taken together, the new dates and the concert film show that Nugent is not exactly disappearing from the live circuit. He may have sworn off the traditional touring grind, but his 2026 calendar says the stage is still very much part of the plan.
