You’ve probably seen the headlines floating around Facebook or some sketchy tabloid site claiming Bonnie Raitt is hanging up the slide guitar for good. Honestly? It’s all noise. If anything, the 76-year-old rock legend is doubling down. Just a few months ago, she had to personally hop on social media to swat away those "farewell tour" rumors fueled by AI-generated junk.
She isn't going anywhere.
In fact, the bonnie raitt concert dates for 2026 are already trickling out, and they look pretty heavy on the West Coast and Canada. It’s a tight run, mostly theaters and mid-sized amphitheaters where her red Fender Stratocaster actually has room to breathe. If you were hoping for a massive 50-city stadium slog, that’s not really her style these days. She’s keeping it curated.
Where Bonnie is Headed in 2026
The "Live 2026" trek officially kicks off in late May. She’s starting in the Pacific Northwest—specifically Spokane—before zigzagging through Oregon and California. After that, she’s crossing the border for a serious trek across the Canadian prairies.
Here is what the confirmed schedule looks like so far:
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- May 28: Spokane, WA – The Fox Theater
- June 3: Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion
- June 5 & 6: Sacramento, CA – Channel 24 (A rare two-night stand)
- June 8: Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
- June 10: Salem, OR – Elsinore Theatre
- June 13: Bellingham, WA – Mount Baker Theatre
- June 16: Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
- June 17: Victoria, BC – Royal Theatre
- June 19: Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place
- June 20: Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
- June 23: Edmonton, AB – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
- June 25: Saskatoon, SK – TCU Place
- June 27: Winnipeg, MB – Centennial Concert Hall
- September 10-13: Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender at Westgate Resort
The Sacramento dates are particularly interesting. Channel 24 is a newer spot, and the fact that she’s staying for two nights suggests she’s prioritizing venues with better acoustics over raw capacity. Also, keep an eye on that Big Blues Bender appearance in Vegas—it’s a festival environment, so expect a slightly different vibe than her solo theater shows.
The "Just Like That" Momentum
Most of these bonnie raitt concert dates are still supporting the tail end of the Just Like That... era. It’s rare for an artist's eighteenth album to win a Song of the Year Grammy, but that title track—a devastating story about organ donation—basically revitalized her career for a whole new generation.
She’s playing a lot of that newer material, but don't worry. She isn't the type of artist who gets "too cool" to play the hits. You’re definitely getting "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me."
People often ask who’s opening. For the Canadian leg, she’s bringing along Jon Cleary. If you don't know him, he’s a New Orleans funk and blues master. He’s played on her records for years. For the U.S. shows earlier in the run, she’s still listing the guests as "TBA," though she’s recently toured with Jimmie Vaughan, so the bar is high.
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What to Expect From the 2026 Setlist
Based on her recent 2025 performances at places like Red Rocks and the Capitol Theatre, the show structure is pretty locked in. She usually opens with a cover—often "I Sho Do" by The Bluerunners—to get the groove settled.
The middle of the set is where it gets heavy. When she plays "Angel From Montgomery," she usually dedicates it to the late John Prine. It’s the emotional peak of the night. You could hear a pin drop in a 3,000-seat theater when she hits those first few chords.
Her voice? It hasn’t aged. Seriously. While some of her contemporaries are struggling with their upper registers, Raitt still has that smoky, controlled rasp that sounds exactly like her 1990s peak. She credits it to "FaceTime yoga" and three decades of sobriety, which she talks about quite openly on stage.
Scoring Tickets Without Getting Scammed
This is the tricky part. Because she isn't doing a 100-date tour, demand for these specific bonnie raitt concert dates is high.
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- Avoid the "Resale" Trap Early: If you see tickets on a third-party site for $500 before the official presale has even happened, those are "speculative" tickets. They don't exist yet. The seller is just gambling that they can buy them later and flip them to you.
- Use the Fan Community: Her official site, BonnieRaitt.com, has a free "Member" area. You don't even need a password once you're logged in; you just get direct access to the "Special Benefit Seats." These seats are usually the best in the house and the money goes to various non-profits.
- The "Big Blues Bender" Loophole: If the individual theater shows sell out, the Vegas festival in September is often the easiest way to see her. It’s a multi-day event, but you can usually grab a pass that guarantees a viewing spot without the Ticketmaster bloodbath.
A Note on those Farewell Rumors
Let’s be real. At 76, every tour feels like it could be the last. But Raitt has been very vocal about the "fake news" surrounding her retirement. She mentioned in a recent interview that she feels a responsibility to keep the blues alive, especially since so many of her peers—like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker—are gone.
She isn't touring because she has to. She's touring because she's still one of the best slide guitarists on the planet, and she knows it.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re planning to catch her in 2026, here is the move: Sign up for the mailing list on her official website today. Most of the West Coast shows are already seeing "Special Benefit" tickets move fast. Also, if you’re eyeing the Sacramento or Vancouver dates, those are historically her fastest sell-outs. Check your local venue’s specific box office rules, as some of these theaters (like the Elsinore in Salem) have their own independent ticketing systems that bypass the major apps.