JUST ANNOUNCED After a year of sold-out shows, ZZ Top arenas & a Guitar Show headline…
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JUST ANNOUNCED: ZZ Top Extends Tour After Sold-Out Run—Arena Dates, Guitar Show Headline in 2025
April 21, 2025 – Rock fans, polish your boots and rev up the beards—ZZ Top is back and bigger than ever. After a year of sold-out shows across the U.S. and Europe, the Texas blues-rock legends have just announced an extended run of arena dates through the end of 2025, including a high-profile headlining slot at this year’s International Guitar Show in Nashville.
The tour, which originally launched in early 2024 as a 50th-anniversary celebration, has become a surprise juggernaut, drawing fans young and old with its mix of gritty blues, timeless riffs, and trademark stage swagger. Due to overwhelming demand, the trio—featuring Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill’s legacy presence via longtime bassist Elwood Francis, and Frank Beard on drums—is bringing the show to larger arenas, adding 20 new dates across North America.
“This band never slows down,” Gibbons said in a statement released today. “We’re still doing what we’ve always done—bringing that Little Ol’ Band from Texas energy to the stage. And the fans? They’re louder than ever. It’s a wild ride.”
The new leg of the tour kicks off August 15 in Denver, with stops in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Toronto, before wrapping in Los Angeles on December 5. Each show promises a full-throttle, career-spanning setlist that includes classics like “La Grange,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Tush,” and “Cheap Sunglasses,” alongside newer material from their 2023 album Whiskey, Women & Wheels, which debuted in the Billboard Top 20.
But perhaps the most buzzworthy addition to ZZ Top’s calendar is their role as headline act for the 2025 International Guitar Show in Nashville this October. The event, which gathers guitarists, collectors, luthiers, and fans from around the globe, has never featured a rock band of ZZ Top’s stature in its headlining slot. Organizers say the inclusion is a tribute to the band’s indelible mark on guitar culture.
“Billy Gibbons is one of the most iconic guitarists alive,” said Guitar Show director Lena McGrath. “From tone to technique to attitude, ZZ Top’s influence is woven into every generation of players. Having them headline is a full-circle moment for the world of guitar.”
Gibbons, known for his custom axes and tone-rich blues licks, will also be participating in a rare masterclass and Q&A session during the show’s opening day. “Bring your questions,” he teased on social media, “and maybe a spare set of strings.”
The tour’s ongoing success is part of a broader resurgence in classic rock interest, fueled by younger audiences discovering legacy acts on streaming platforms and through viral clips on social media. ZZ Top, with their distinctive look and blend of humor and grit, have become favorites on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where fans share clips from concerts, guitar solos, and vintage music videos.
The band’s tight production, signature visuals (yes, the rotating guitars are back), and surprisingly funky rhythm section continue to charm fans across generations. Reviews from the 2024 tour called it “a masterclass in blues-rock showmanship,” with Rolling Stone praising Gibbons’ “molten tone and laid-back cool that proves some things don’t age—they just get better.”
Longtime fans have also noted the respectful way the band has continued following the 2021 passing of Dusty Hill, whose request was that the group keep going. Bass duties were handed to Elwood Francis, ZZ Top’s longtime guitar tech, whose stage presence and reverence for Hill’s tone and spirit have helped maintain the band’s chemistry.
“Elwood’s been with us for over 30 years,” said Gibbons in a recent interview. “He knows the songs, he knows the sound, and most of all, he knows the heart of this band. Dusty told us to keep rolling, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
Fans can expect not only the classic hits but also deeper cuts, new tracks, and the band’s signature blend of storytelling, showmanship, and Texas twang. VIP packages, including meet-and-greet options, exclusive merch, and early entry, are available beginning this Friday.
Tickets for the arena tour and Guitar Show go on sale April 26 at 10 a.m. local time via the band’s official website and major ticketing outlets.
As the beard-slinging blues legends prepare to crank it up once more, one thing is clear: rock isn’t just alive—it’s roaring. ZZ Top’s ongoing ride proves that good music, played loud and with soul, never goes out of style.
