A FAREWELL WRITTEN IN SONG: Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson Announce 2026 Tour “One Last Ride” — A Father-and-Son Farewell Fans Will Never Forget
It was the kind of announcement that stops country music fans in their tracks. In a sunlit barn on his Spicewood, Texas ranch, Willie Nelson, 93, sat beside his son Lukas Nelson and looked out at a small gathering of reporters and longtime friends. His voice was steady, but his eyes carried the weight of decades.
“This will be my last run,” Willie said quietly. “And I couldn’t imagine doing it without my boy.”
With that, the 2026 Tour “One Last Ride” was officially announced — a sweeping, multi-city farewell that will bring the father-and-son duo to stages across the United States, Canada, and Europe. For fans, it promises to be more than a concert series. It will be a living chronicle of a shared journey, a bridge between the outlaw country tradition that Willie Nelson helped define and the new generation carrying it forward.
Lukas Nelson, now a celebrated singer-songwriter in his own right with his band Promise of the Real, spoke with both pride and reverence.
“Dad’s music has been the soundtrack to my life,” he said. “This tour isn’t just about saying goodbye — it’s about telling the story together, one last time.”
The setlist, they revealed, will weave through Willie’s most beloved songs — “On the Road Again”, “Always on My Mind”, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” — alongside selections from Lukas’s catalog, including “Find Yourself” and “Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)”. There will also be special moments where father and son will perform duets they have rarely, if ever, shared live.
In true Willie Nelson fashion, the announcement was as low-key as it was heartfelt. The barn was decorated with faded tour posters from the 1970s, Lukas’s guitar leaning against a bale of hay beside Willie’s iconic Martin N-20, Trigger. Friends from the Austin music scene mingled with industry veterans, all knowing they were witnessing the start of something historic.
Willie’s career has spanned more than 70 years, influencing generations of artists and leaving an indelible mark on American music. His voice — weathered, warm, unmistakable — has been a constant companion for fans through times of joy and sorrow alike. For many, the thought of his touring days ending is bittersweet.
“We’ve had a hell of a ride,” Willie said with a grin. “Now it’s time for one last trip down the road.”
The tour will begin in Austin, Texas, in March 2026 and will wind its way through major cities including Nashville, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and London, before concluding in Abbott, Texas, just miles from where Willie was born. The finale, according to Lukas, will be “a night for the books — friends, family, and a setlist that tells the whole story.”
Fans can expect ticket demand to be extraordinary, with presales starting in early 2026. In addition to the live shows, select dates will be filmed for a planned documentary chronicling the tour, offering behind-the-scenes glimpses into the bond between Willie and Lukas both on and off stage.
As the announcement wrapped up, Willie Nelson leaned back in his chair, strummed a few chords on Trigger, and began to hum the opening line of “On the Road Again”. Lukas joined in, their voices blending in a way that felt both timeless and fleeting — a reminder that this ride, while ending, will echo for years to come.