Neal Schon, founding guitarist with Journey, has issued a statement about the band’s future as their long-running Final Frontier tour nears its end.
“After completing 110 shows in 2026, we’ve felt something powerful happen within Journey,” says Schon. “Playing two and a half hours each night in our ‘Evening with Journey’ shows – the longest shows we’ve ever played – has brought us closer together, both musically and personally.
“Our fans have touched our hearts and helped pull us together. Your love, energy and passion for this music have reminded us how much we still share and how much this journey means to all of us.
“What began as ‘The Final Frontier’ now feels more like ‘The Long Goodbye.’ We’re letting our hearts – and the connection we feel with you every night – help guide what comes next.
“Thank you for standing with us, singing with us and giving us so many reasons to keep playing. This journey belongs to all of us.”
The statement – released with 14 shows left to play on the Final Frontier tour – is at odds with much of the noise surrounding the tour, which has seen frontman Arnel Pineda share several posts on social media that suggest he isn’t entirely happy.
In August, Hugo Valenti – the former Valentine and Open Skyz singer who fronted Journey tribute band Voyage for the best part of two decades before founding Hugo – The Ultimate Journey Tribute – took the mic for three songs over the course of two shows in Japan, prompting Pineda to comment, “Now I can step back. Congratulations.”
The singer, who reportedly tried to leave the band twice ahead of their current farewell tour, also posted in the wake of the cancellation of Journey’s set at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, where organisers pulled the plug when the site was evacuated due to extreme winds.
“The story will go on, and who knows when it’ll stop,” he wrote. “Thy will be done (I whisper those words all the time to myself). Again, thank you, and I just wanna urge your respect to my privacy as I navigate a new chapter in my life that’s still kinda scary, coz for me, it’s unknown and won’t reveal much of what I’m expecting it to be. The mystery of living a life in this world we are all in. Well, I’ll keep chasing.”
Most recently, Pineda shared a cryptic meme on Facebook, a graphic adorned with the words, “Karma Says: ‘Let them lie. Let them pretend. Let them play their games. Their own behaviour will eventually destroy their life.’”
“I hope I won’t get in trouble,” he added, in the manner of a man who thought the post might get him into trouble.
The Final Frontier tour kicked off in November 2025 amid uncertainty regarding Jonathan Cain’s place in the band, with Schon announcing the keyboardist’s “farewell” before clarifying that he’d complete the tour. The pair have also been navigating ongoing legal friction.
The next show on Journey’s Final Frontier tour is this evening (November 2) in Detroit. Full dates below.
Journey: The Final Frontier tour 2027
Nov 02: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Nov 04: Toronto Scotiabank Arena, ON
Nov 06: Wilkes-Barre Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, PA
Nov 07: Uniondale Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, NY
Nov 10: Boston TD Garden, MA
Nov 12: Cleveland Rocket Arena, OH
Nov 14: Greenville Bon Secours Wellness Arena, SC
Nov 16: St. Louis Enterprise Center, MO
Nov 18: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Nov 20: Dallas American Airlines Center, TX
Nov 22: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Nov 24: Anaheim Honda Center, CA
Nov 27: Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena, NV
Nov 28: San Francisco Chase Center, CA
(LouderSound)
Leave a Reply