Mötley Crüe just gave longtime fans a real jolt at Rockin’ Thunder in Winnipeg. On July 4, the band played its first full headlining concert in nine months and used the night to dust off “Take Me to the Top” for the first time since 1984, turning the show into a deep-cut event with serious nostalgia weight. The performance took place at Princess Auto Stadium, where the band headlined the festival’s second edition.
The rare song choice matters because “Take Me to the Top” comes from Mötley Crüe’s 1981 debut album Too Fast for Love and had not been performed live in more than four decades before this Winnipeg show. The set also brought back “Red Hot” for the first time since 2013, “Louder Than Hell” for the first time since 2015, and “Too Young to Fall in Love” for the first time since 2015, making the entire night feel like a deliberate nod to the band’s earliest era.
The festival bill was stacked around the Crüe. According to Blabbermouth, the Winnipeg event also featured openers Three Days Grace, Halestorm, and JJ Wilde, giving the night a full hard-rock lineup before Mötley Crüe closed it out.
Here is the Rockin’ Thunder setlist reported by Blabbermouth and listed on Setlist.fm:
- Red Hot
- Louder Than Hell
- Wild Side
- In the Beginning
- Shout at the Devil
- Too Fast for Love
- Looks That Kill
- Too Young to Fall in Love
- Take Me to the Top
- Primal Scream
- Home Sweet Home
- Guitar Solo
- Smokin’ in the Boys Room (Brownsville Station cover)
- Live Wire
- Girls, Girls, Girls
- Dr. Feelgood
- Kickstart My Heart
The Winnipeg show also fits into a bigger picture for the band’s 2026 plans. Mötley Crüe’s official site says “The Return of the Carnival of Sins” tour kicks off on July 17, 2026, runs 33 dates, and celebrates both the 20th anniversary of the original Carnival of Sins tour and the band’s 45th anniversary. The band says the new run will feature Tesla and Extreme as support, and that $1 from every ticket will go to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Crüe’s giveback initiative.
Nikki Sixx has already teased that the new tour will mix the hits fans expect with deeper cuts and songs not heard as often, saying the band is excited to “dive into some songs that we maybe never played or haven’t played in a long time.” That makes this Winnipeg performance feel less like a one-off surprise and more like a warning shot for what the 2026 run could look like.
