It took 30 years to happen, but the demand for the Triumph reunion is proving to be unprecedented. In a new interview with the Preston & Steve show on Philadelphia’s 93.3 FM WMMR, guitarist and vocalist Rik Emmett revealed that the initial response to the band’s 50th-anniversary tour has shocked everyone involved—including the promoters.
Emmett candidly discussed the overwhelming fan reaction, noting that Live Nation is scrambling to accommodate the surge in ticket sales.
“Tickets go on sale and Live Nation is just beside themselves happy with the fact that they’ve been selling so many so rapidly that now it only seems likely that they’ll come back and go, ‘Hey, we wanna add shows,'” Emmett said.
He cited the tour’s Chicago stop as a prime example of the frenzy.
“I know that we couldn’t get the big building in Chicago, so I think it was only a 4,000 seater, and it sold out day of — boom, gone. So then they go, ‘Well, we’re gonna add a Chicago show.’ And I go, ‘Wait, I thought I was gonna get a couple of days off.’ And they go, ‘No, you’re not gonna get a day off there. You’re gonna lose it.’ I go, ‘Oh, man.'”
For Emmett, the reunion represents a sharp U-turn from his previous stance. He admitted to the radio hosts that for years, he was certain the classic lineup—which includes bassist Mike Levine and drummer Gil Moore—would never share a stage again.
“I’ll tell you, there were times where I was saying this will never happen: ‘I will never play with Triumph ever again,'” Emmett confessed. “And I think that contributes to some of the fact that so many folks across so many demos are kind of going, like, ‘Oh my God, I gotta get my tickets. I never thought this would happen.’ ‘Cause I never thought it would happen.”
While the excitement is palpable, Emmett was realistic about the physical toll of returning to the road at age 72. He noted that the performance itself isn’t the hardest part—it’s everything in between.
“At 72, how will my body respond to this? And it’s not just a question of the 90 minutes on stage, because adrenaline could carry you… It’s the other 22 and a half hours that will kill you — the hotels and the airports and the lugging your guitar in,” he explained. “I had got to the point where I was sick and tired of it on my own.”
To ensure the music sounds as powerful as ever, the core trio is bringing heavy reinforcements. The touring lineup will feature Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X, along with the Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators rhythm section of drummer/keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns.
Emmett expressed immense relief and excitement about having these younger musicians on board to handle the heavy lifting—and the high notes.
“There’s these three guys now that are gonna sort of step in… Phil X on guitar, and he can sing his head off. He’s unreal — he’s like a force-of-nature guitar player. And then Todd Kerns on bass. But Todd Kerns can play anything, and he can sing like — one minute he sings like me, next minute he sings like Axl Rose.”
Emmett sees this collaboration as a passing of the torch, allowing the legacy of Triumph to endure even as the original members age.
“I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna be able to make it through all of the songs, singing all of the vocals… When I did the Hall Of Fame thing with Phil, I sang the intro and the first verse, and then when it came to the really high notes, I just went, ‘Phil,'” Emmett shared. “But that’s kind of so much fun that you’re seeing the songs move to the next generation and they get the energy that these people bring… It’s not me; now it’s gonna be them, but I go, ‘Yeah, good. Take the legacy. Run with it.'”
Triumph 50th Anniversary North American Tour Dates 2026
Canada
- April 22 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – GFL Memorial Gardens
- April 24 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
- April 25 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum
- April 28 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre
- April 29 – Moncton, NB – Avenir Centre
- May 1 – Laval, QC – Place Bell (Montreal)
- May 2 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
- May 5 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
- May 7 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
- May 8 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
United States
- May 13 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre (Chicago)
- May 14 – Milwaukee, WI – Miller High Life Theatre
- May 16 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
- May 17 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- May 20 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (Dallas)
- May 21 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
- May 22 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land
- May 24 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
- May 26 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
- May 28 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Philadelphia)
- May 30 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill (Detroit)
- June 3 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
- June 5 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (New York)
- June 6 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
