MÖTLEY CRÜE are gearing up for yet another massive run, and bassist Nikki Sixx is making it clear: the band’s 2026 summer trek, “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins,” will be nothing short of electrifying. In a new conversation with Mike Hsu of 100 FM The Pike, Sixx opened up about the excitement surrounding the upcoming tour, which celebrates both the 20th anniversary of their iconic 2005–2006 “Carnival Of Sins” tour and the 45th anniversary of the band.
The 33-city Live Nation–produced tour launches July 17, 2026, in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and features EXTREME and TESLA as special guests.
Reflecting on the tour’s inspiration, Nikki explained how much the original “Carnival Of Sins” era meant to the band and their fans. He said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Listen, two of our biggest and most successful tours was the ‘Dr. Feelgood’ tour. And that’s not to negate ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ or any of that stuff, but that was a big peaking time for us and that album connected with people. And then the ‘Carnival Of Sins’ tour 20 years ago. That was unbelievable. It was such a fun experience. And we were just, like, ‘It’s an anniversary of that and that DVD and people still talk to us about that show.’
This time around, technology will play a major role in leveling up the spectacle. Nikki recalled how limited the visual production tools were in 2005, compared to what’s possible now. “They didn’t have video screens back then, and anything that you could do that would encompass and take over the imagination of all the people there. And that we had an opportunity to do that in [Las] Vegas on a couple things. ‘In The Beginning’, [which] starts off the ‘Shout At The Devil’ album, we had an amazing visual presentation of ‘In The Beginning’. Mid-show, everything went dark and there’s this, basically, devil talking to you, narrating that, which then led into ‘Shout At The Devil’. And these are the kind of things, when you think about the ‘Carnival’ environment, how far we can take it — it’s super exciting for us.”
Sixx also shared why TESLA and EXTREME were the perfect fit for the tour, emphasizing their shared commitment to great songwriting. “We’re really stoked with TESLA and EXTREME, because the idea of TESLA and EXTREME and MÖTLEY CRÜE is it’s all about songs, however you interpret them. You can play ’em RAMMSTEIN style or you can play ’em George Thorogood style or you can play ’em whatever. A good song is a good song, and that’s what I’m really excited about. We’ve had the best time when we look out at the fans. We did ‘The Stadium Tour’ [in 2022]. They were singing every Joan Jett song, all the POISON songs, all the DEF LEPPARD songs, all the MÖTLEY CRÜE songs. So this has a little feel of that. They’re in sheds and stuff — they’re not stadiums — which is a cool place to play in the summer outside.”
When asked whether this extensive tour signals the band winding things down, Sixx dismissed the idea. His previous comments about the difficulty of leaving his family behind prompted speculation, but he clarified that summer touring actually solves that issue. “No. It’s summertime. It’s great to be able to go out and be with the band and the fans and not leave my family behind ’cause they’re in school and all this kind of stuff. So, summers are a great time for bands that have been around for a while and have families because we can go out and play and still be able to be with our families. That’s always kind of been the hardest part for me, is being separated from that. I’m a dad and a husband and a sobriety advocate and a musician before I am a rock star. Though that doesn’t equate to me, but I understand that. But I’m just saying, I don’t put all my eggs just in that basket ’cause it would feel very one-dimensional to me. I have a lot of dimension that I like to enjoy in my life. I have an animation company. That brings me amazing amount of creative joy, and great partners. And there’s so many other things that I do as well as MÖTLEY CRÜE. So I’m really grateful, dude — really grateful.”
He added, “And no, this isn’t a cap on anything… plugging it into summertime, it just works for everybody. It’s just a blast.”
General on-sale begins Friday, November 21 at 9 a.m. local time, with VIP packages available starting Wednesday, November 19 at 9 a.m. local time. Fans can find full details and ticket links at motley.com.
A portion of each ticket sold will support the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative, donating $1 per ticket to ASAP! (After School Arts Program). With funding for school arts programs shrinking nationwide, the band hopes to help protect creative spaces for kids. ASAP! offers after-school opportunities in music, theater, writing, visual arts, and more — empowering students with confidence, expression, and community.
“The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins” 2026 tour dates:
Jul. 17 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Jul. 18 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Jul. 20 – Clarkson, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Jul. 22 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
Jul. 24 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
Jul. 25 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
Jul. 27 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Jul. 29 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jul. 31 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 1 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Aug. 3 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Aug. 12 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 14 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Aug. 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 17 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 19 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Aug. 21 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
Aug. 22 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Aug. 24 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Aug. 25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 27 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
Aug. 28 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sep. 8 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
Sep. 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sep. 11 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sep. 13 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sep. 16 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sep. 18 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep. 19 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater
Sep. 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep. 23 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Sep. 24 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
Sep. 26 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
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