BRIAN MAY On Why QUEEN Won’t Tour America Right Now: “It’s A Dangerous Place At The Moment”

Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed that the band has no plans to tour the United States again in the foreseeable future, citing concerns that the country has become too “dangerous.”

Queen wrapped up their most recent U.S. tour in 2023, but in a new interview with the Daily Mail, May explained why a return is currently off the table.

“America is a dangerous place at the moment, so you have to take that into account,” May said. “It’s very sad because I feel like Queen grew up in America and we love it, but it’s not what it was.”

Queen have a deep history with the United States, having performed hundreds of shows across the country throughout the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, the band toured extensively in North America with Adam Lambert, who joined as lead vocalist in 2014.

Despite that long-standing relationship, May says the current climate has made touring the U.S. a more complicated decision. “Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment,” he added.

May‘s remarks come amid heightened political and social tensions in the United States, including widespread protests against ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during encounters with ICE agents.

In recent weeks, numerous musicians have publicly criticized ICE and President Donald Trump, including Green Day, Neil Young, Moby, Duran Duran, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Bruce Springsteen, who recently released the protest song “Streets of Minneapolis.”

Elsewhere in the interview, May reflected more broadly on the state of the world, expressing concern over increasing division and cruelty. “I feel despondent about the world of humans,” he said. “It keeps me awake at night. The cruelty, the ignorance, the lies, the rewriting of history. I think an understanding and love of art and music make it impossible to be the kind of person who wants to go out and be cruel to others.

“There’s so much suffering in the world, why would we want to add to it? We’ve lost the ability to discuss things and respect other people’s point of view. We have a horrendous polarization. If people spent more time looking at the stars and making music, none of this would be possible.”