Are Queen quitting touring? Sir Brian May sets the record straight as we revisit Queen's most iconic live performances.

It's been a busy week at the rumour mill, with news breaking that legendary rock band Queen confirming that they will no longer be touring. However, it seems that things are not what they seem as Sir Brian May has confirmed this morning that his comments to British newspaper The Times were misquoted and perhaps we will see Sir Brian, drummer Roger Taylor and frontman Adam Lambert on stage once again.

The singer had been quoted as saying that he made a personal decision around 18 months ago that he did not want to tour, after almost five decades of life on the road. Understandably, at 79 years old, the rock icon probably wants to take a slight step back and to focus on his family and his other passion - astrophysics.

However, after much speculation in the media, Sir Brian has confirmed that his words have been misinterpreted and that his intention was to say that he had made a personal decision to take a break from touring rather than permanently closing the door on Queen returning to the road altogether.

The possibility of seeing Queen on stage once again is music to the ears of their fans and Sir Brian has reassured fans that he and drummer Roger Taylor continue to work together on Queen projects behind the scenes, while he has been making new music.

However, he has said that 'he does not know what the future holds' and remains open to new ideas. Queen have always been a prolific touring band and their last global tour with Adam Lambert ended in February 2024 in Japan.

Whilst we (like Sir Brian) don't know what the future holds, we can look to the past to round up five of the most iconic live performances from one of the world's most loved rock bands.

1. Live Aid, 1985 - Perhaps the most iconic concert of all times and it's fair to say that Queen's performance was the one that is the most synonymous with Live Aid. The band opened up with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and it set the tone for what was one of the most mesmerising gigs ever. Whilst the entire band were absolutely incredible, it was clear that the star of the show was Freddie Mercury, who showed that day that he was one of the greatest live performers of his generation.
2. Rock In Rio, 1985 - In January 1985, Queen headlined two nights of Rock In Rio, the biggest music festival the world had ever seen in the colourful country of Brazil. Every track landed superbly, but perhaps the most compelling moment was when over a quarter of a million Brazilian fans joined in with one of the most anthemic stadium tracks of all time -'We Will Rock You'. Such was the band's popularity at the time, each of the two shows was watched by nearly 200 million people in more than 60 countries.
3. Wembley Stadium, 1986 - An invariable smorgasbord of live music! Queen's fantastic gig in their hometown of London was nothing short of spectacular. From ''I Want To Break Free' through to the joyous 'Radio Ga Ga', every seat was filled and the band had the audience in the palm of their hands. Playing across two dates in July 1986 as part of their 'Magic Tour', these two sold-out London shows captured Queen at the absolute peak of their arena-rock powers.
4. Montreal, 1981 - Queen were coming to the end of 'The Game' tour which concluded with two nights at the Montreal Forum, where their intention was to fill the entire concert. This was a pure and raw rock 'n' roll performance and it featured the first-ever live performance of 'Under Pressure' and a notoriously blistering, raucous rendition of 'We Will Rock You'.
5. Knebworth, 1986 - There's no doubt that Queen's Montreal performance showcased Queen at their absolute musical peak, however their show at Knebworth in 1986 was the grand, emotional finale of the band's touring days featuring Freddie's final live performance.  Looking back, it even feels emotional now, as it represents the band of Queen's legendary legacy and was an absolute masterclass in musicianship and what an incredible band Queen had become.