Queen's Brian May Rules Out a Return to the U.S. Because ‘It’s a Dangerous Place at the Moment’
- - Queen's Brian May Rules Out a Return to the U.S. Because ‘It’s a Dangerous Place at the Moment’
Clare FisherJanuary 30, 2026 at 6:18 AM
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Brian May in August 2025 in Las Vegas; Queen in January 1973
Ethan Miller/Getty; Michael Putland/Getty
Brian May said Queen won't be performing in the U.S. anytime soon
During an interview with U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail, the band's lead guitarist said that America was a "dangerous place at the moment," adding that he was "very sad" about the decision
May's admission follows his 2024 health scare when he suffered a "minor" stroke, an experience he described as a "little scary" and a "wake-up call"
Queen's Brian May is ruling out a return to the US.
The lead guitarist of legendary rock band Queen, 78, made the admission during an interview with U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail, published on Thursday, Jan. 29.
“America is a dangerous place at the moment, so you have to take that into account,” May said, adding that it was not a decision that had been taken lightly.
“It's very sad because I feel like Queen grew up in America and we love it, but it's not what it was. Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment,” he noted.
Brian May in October 2025 in Germany
Getty
May and drummer Roger Taylor have been touring with American Idol alum Adam Lambert since 2012 under the stage name Queen and Adam Lambert, but he said it was an “unknown” when they would be back on stage. “We’ll take it day by day,” he added.
As for new music, while he didn't make any promises, May did hint that “there are a couple of things you haven’t heard.” But he said that for now it was time to “take a break and spend time with family.”
May’s admissions about taking things a little easier follow a health scare in September 2024 when he suffered a "minor stroke" and temporarily lost movement in his left arm.
Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deason of Queen
Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
He shared the experience in a video on Instagram, revealing, “All of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn’t have any control of this arm," he said in the clip. "It was a little scary, I have to say."
And in November of last year, the rocker opened up about his health during an interview with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV's Love Your Weekend.
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"I’ve been lucky, I get these things, but I seem to be able to get out of them. They give you a wake-up call," he said.
May also said the experience had inspired him to become more active. "I keep moving, I do my biking a lot of times a week," he said. "I do a hundred lengths in the pool once a week. To me, that's what's keeping me going. That's what's keeping me alive."
Doctors have said he's "doing the right things," the rocker added. "So, for now, I'm still here," he quipped.
May didn’t let his health worries keep him from the stage, however, and following his stroke, he’s performed twice alongside Benson Boone, both at Coachella and in London.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
