Def Leppard News - (DEF LEPPARD 2020 TOUR NEWS UPDATE) Huge North American Tour Being Planned

Saturday, 16th November 2019

(DEF LEPPARD 2020 TOUR NEWS UPDATE) Huge North American Tour Being Planned

By Chele Drappel

Def Leppard have mentioned they plan to have a busy touring schedule in 2020 and here is a Round Up of the most recent news.

Various members of the band have given brief hints and updates about the 2020 tour since early 2018.

The last couple of days have seen a major development in activity with two touring partners being mentioned on US radio by the manager of another band.

One which is quite curious...as technically they ended their live career on 31st December 2015 in Los Angeles.

Read more about this news below and all of the most recent news from the band members about their 2020 tour plans.

Plans which now seem close to being finalised/announced and including a huge North American tour schedule.

Def Leppard 2020 Tour Start Date?

Joe said the touring activity will begin in either April or May 2020 when speaking in an October interview.

Def Leppard 2020 Tour End Date?

Joe told an interviewer last month that the Def Leppard tour schedule would be busy until at least November 2020.

Def Leppard 2020 Tour Locations/Venues?

All indications so far point to a run of shows in Mexico and/or South America in Spring/Early Summer 2020. Followed by a large scale North American run similar to 2018 with a mix of arenas, amphitheatres and 'maybe' some more stadium shows.

Def Leppard 2020 Tour Announcement?

As for when any tour will be announced...the 2019 Canadian shows were announced in early January following online rumours in December 2018. The 'Sin City Residency' was then confirmed/announced in mid February.

The last announcement of North American shows in the year before they happened was late 2014 when the April/May Canadian tour was announced.

Def Leppard played their final show of 2019 in Sacramento, CA on 2nd November with Don Felder and Vivian's own Last In Line opening.

So far only Last In Line have announced any shows for 2020 out of Def Leppard and their related side projects.

Read a brief history of all the 2020 tour news below dating back through to the start of 2018.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2020 Tour News History / 2018-2019

14th november 2019

DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT Says No Down 'n' Outz Tour Until November 2020

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was recently interviewed by US radio about the new Down 'n' Outz album This Is How We Roll.

In yet another Down 'n' Outz interview Joe Elliott indicated that Def Leppard's upcoming touring schedule would last until at least November 2020. And for this reason any possible Down 'n' Outz shows are highly unlikely until after that time.

Quotes - "I've actually just been filling in sheets of paper with the little squares numbered 1 to 31 with the months above them. And putting big red crosses where nobody's available and the whole thing is filled with red crosses."

"So the earliest that we could possibly do any shows is November 2020. Which will be a good 13 months since this album came out. If something rears it's head and it seems doable then it's always a possibility. But it would more than likely be a UK tour."

17th october 2019

JOE ELLIOTT Says DEF LEPPARD Will Have Full On Tour Schedule In 2020

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was interviewed by Minnesota radio yesterday about the Down 'n' Outz and mentioned 2020 touring plans.

Joe Elliott continued his Down 'n' Outz interviews and again mentioned Def Leppard's 2020 tour plans. This time saying the schedule will be "full on".

Quote - "So next year will be another back on full, you know, Leppard tour again. So, you know, when we get the winter to hibernate which is nice. And maybe do some Down 'n' Outz shows, I don't know."

12th october 2019

JOE ELLIOTT Says DEF LEPPARD's 2020 Tour To Begin In April/May

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was recently interviewed about the Down 'n' Outz and mentioned 2020 touring plans.

Joe went on to mention Def Leppard's 2020 tour plans again during another of his Down 'n' Outz press tour interviews. This time suggesting the touring would begin in April or May. This time frame tied in with Mexican fan rumours about the band appearing at the Domination Mexico festival which takes place on 1st/2nd May 2020 in Mexico City. The line-up for which has still to be confirmed/announced.

Quote - "We kind of fire up again towards late April, early May," Elliott says. "So far everything's pencilled in, nothing in ink yet. That'll happen over this winter."

26th september 2019

JOE ELLIOTT Confirms DEF LEPPARD 2020 Tour/Writing More New Music

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was interviewed for a live edition of Trunk Nation last night and mentioned upcoming tour and new music plans.

Joe became more direct when talking about future plans and sort of confirmed a 2020 North American tour when speaking to DJ Eddie Trunk. He mentioned the start time for the Def Leppard tour when asked about possible Down 'n' Outz shows.

Quote - "There is a possibility before Leppard start next summer where we might be able to do some late Spring/Early Summer stuff. So the further away it is the more chance I've got to say don't book anything yet. These things are already booked for these guys."."

6th august 2019

PHIL COLLEN Says DEF LEPPARD Have Busy 2020 World Tour/Album Plans

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was interviewed by Las Vegas radio and spoke about 2020 tour and album plans.

Phil spoke to a radio station in Las Vegas in August and revealed more about the plans for 2020. He described the tour schedule as being "crazy super busy".

Quote - "The future's looking like crazy super busy before we even go into next year. They've already started requesting dates for next year. All round the world so we're gonna have to - it's getting so busy for us. Like I said it's amazing. I'm not complaining by a long shot. I've wanted this to happen for years and it's kind of finally happening. You know on that kind of scale."

26th july 2019

PHIL COLLEN Hints At Future DEF LEPPARD Stadium Tour

Def Leppard guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell were interviewed at the Download Festival and talked of future plans.

A telling hint from Phil about what might happen on the 2020 tour came during an interview in June 2019 in the UK. He suggested at least some shows in 2020 might again be played in large outdoor stadiums following the ten shows included on the 2018 co-headline run with Journey.

Quote - "Well we always wanted to do a stadium tour. Which we just did with Journey. And so we want to do more of that."

29th december 2018

DEF LEPPARD To Play GREATEST HITS Show Las Vegas Residency In 2019

Def Leppard could be set to return to Las Vegas in 2019 with a new residency according to Joe Elliott.

When first revealing plans for the eventual 'Sin City Residency' Joe also talked briefly about the 2020 tour. This was after another mention of South America for 2019 (which again never happened).

Quote - "And then after that we've got South America and then they'll be a reset for 2020 'cause we don't really know what we're gonna do yet but we'll be doing something."

12th september 2018

PHIL COLLEN On DEF LEPPARD's 2019 South America/European Shows

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed by the Ohio press and mentioned the 2019 tour plans.

The mentions of a return to South America continued with Phil once again. When he also discussed the now played 2019 shows in Europe. His other mention of "probably more American dates" turned out to be the Sin City Residency.

23rd february 2018

DEF LEPPARD To Play Europe/South America/USA In 2019

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed and spoke more about the 2018/2019 touring schedule.

Phil Collen first talked about a return to South America for shows in February 2018 after their last visit in late 2017. This return did not in the end take place in 2019 but could end up happening in 2020.

Other Bands / Motley Crue/Poison?

The Black Crowes manager Mark Didia was speaking to The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show on 14th November and happened to drop in Def Leppard's name during his interview along with Mötley Crüe and Poison.

This followed an appearance by the newly reformed The Black Crowes featuring brothers Chris and Rich Robinson to announce their 2020 reunion tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic debut album 'Shake Your Money Maker'.

When discussing their touring plans and announcement strategy Mark said this:

Mark Didia - Howard Stern Wrap Up Show Interview Quotes

"We have all the dates, we did all the work, like why not go on sale?. So it's been working. Like our...the thing I said to the Live Nation folks was 'I'm in on doing this but I don't wanna hear about first day sales'. Talk to me next Monday when the first week is released 'cause normally you do your pre-sale and you get some numbers and then CityBank does their thing and you get some numbers. And then you have the Fan Club buy some tickets."

"It's also a time when scalpers can buy tickets. So we also thought that if we go on Howard and we announce immediately no scalpers can get their robots going and their people in line and all the shit that they do. So I think we probably pissed a lot of people off doing it this way this week, but we also hopefully got tickets in the hands of fans directly and not have to worry about the scalpers. 'Cause what they do is they buy all the tickets in the beginning and then if the show isn't that hot they flood the market and it really f**ks things up."

A resurgence of rock?

"Yeah and you're about to see it. There's a lot of rock coming next year. There’s a Mötley Crüe, Poison, Def Leppard tour coming, there’s a Rage Against the Machine...There's...AC/DC's coming. There's a lot of rock coming out next year...My Chemical Romance."

Note - The quote about Def Leppard touring with Mötley Crüe and Poison has been edited out of the On Demand audio for the show but it was at this point that he mentioned a tour with all three bands - Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Poison. Presumably with Def Leppard as headliners!.

As with the Poison tours in 2009, 2012 and 2017, rumours about the tours surfaced long before they were announced. All three tours saw Bret Michaels mention them at least 6 months prior when talking to crowds at his own solo shows. Ann Wilson of Heart also let slip the tour plans with Def Leppard for 2011 in December 2010 during a red carpet interview at an awards event.

I thought Mötley Crüe retired from touring?

Well yes but they did reform at least in the studio in 2018 to record new songs for their 2019 'The Dirt' biopic movie. 'The Dirt (Est.1981)' lead single was released in February with three other new songs included on the soundtrack album.

The "Mötley Crüe Final Tour" ended in December 2015 after 158 dates had been played from July 2014 onwards. A concert film and live album from the final date titled 'The End: Live in Los Angeles' was then released in 2016.

At the start of this tour the band had signed contracts during a press conference where they stated they would be legally prevented from further touring under the Mötley Crüe name.

Mötley Crüe were Def Leppard's touring partners for six shows on the December 2011 'Mirrorball' tour in the UK.

Poison of course toured with Def Leppard in 2009, 2012 and again in 2017. Featuring Bret "It wasn't me who blabbed about it this time." Michaels on lead vocals.

Mötley Crüe/Live Nation Tour Story

It was reported online on 31st October that Live Nation had approached Mötley Crüe with a large money offer (of 150 million dollars) to be part of a tour in 2020. Presumably a tour with Def Leppard and Poison although they were not mentioned.

This would not be the first time Mötley Crüe have reformed for a tour. Although they had not officially split up they did take a long break from touring after 2000 and then reformed the original line-up in 2005 following Fan Petitions with Tommy Lee rejoining the band for the 'Red, White & Crüe ... Better Live Than Dead' tour. Their last studio album 'Saints Of Los Angeles' was released in 2008. Their first since 2000's 'New Tattoo' which was their only album without Tommy Lee as drummer who had left the band in 1999.

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