Honestly, the "Rihanna where have been" search query has basically become a digital prayer at this point. For a decade, the Navy has been living on crumbs, TikTok theories, and the occasional Fenty Lip Oil drop while the music industry fundamentally shifted around them.
She just disappeared. Well, not disappeared—you can't exactly miss a billionaire mogul who shuts down the Met Gala or the Super Bowl—but she stopped being a pop star in the traditional sense. It’s been ten years since Anti dropped in 2016. Ten years! In that time, we’ve seen the rise and fall of entire subgenres, and yet, Riri’s seat at the top remains weirdly vacant.
So, what’s the actual deal? Where has she been, and why is 2026 suddenly the year everyone is circling on their calendars?
The Truth About the "Cancelled" 2025 Tour
If you feel like you heard rumors about a tour last year, you aren't crazy.
Rihanna was actually planning a massive return for the summer of 2025. We're talking stadium dates, a huge production at London Stadium, the works. But then, life happened. Specifically, a third life.
She pulled the plug on those dates because she was expecting her third child with A$AP Rocky. While the internet was busy debating if R9 was ever coming, Rihanna was focused on her daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, who arrived in September 2025.
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The 2025 tour didn't just fall apart because of the pregnancy, though. Sources close to her team—specifically reports circulating through The Sun and AsiaOne—hinted that she just didn't feel the music was "ready." For a perfectionist who hasn't toured in a decade, the stakes are astronomical. You don't come back after ten years with "okay" music. You come back with a statement.
Where is R9? (She Finally Cracked the Code)
The album. The mythical R9.
In February 2025, during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Rihanna dropped a line that sent the fandom into a full-on meltdown: "I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!"
For years, the rumor was that she was making a reggae album. Then it was a dancehall project. Then it was a double album. Rihanna basically admitted she’s been in the studio for eight years, but nothing felt "right" or matched her "evolution." She told Harper's that she can't perform something for a year on tour if she doesn't stand by it.
What the new music sounds like:
- Non-commercial: She explicitly said it isn't "radio digestible."
- Genre-less: She’s moving away from the reggae label people tried to pin on her.
- Experimental: It’s about her growth as a 37-year-old woman and mother of three, not just making "Pon de Replay" 2.0.
Just days ago, in January 2026, A$AP Rocky was on The New York Times’ Popcast promoting his own album, Don’t Be Dumb. When the host asked if it was "Rihanna's turn" to drop now that he's finished, Rocky basically hit the eject button. "I don't want no smoke," he joked. He knows the Navy is a different breed of protective. But his silence actually speaks volumes—the hand-off is happening.
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The 2026 World Tour: 10 Years of Anti
The current word on the street—and by street, I mean high-level industry reporting—is that 2026 is the year.
It’s the 10th anniversary of Anti. It’s a poetic moment to return. Reports suggest she’s lining up massive summer stadium shows, particularly in the UK for August 2026. This isn't just about nostalgia; it’s about finally debuting the material she’s been "cooking up" (as Rocky puts it) since the 2023 Super Bowl.
Being a "Boy Mom" and the New Addition
While we were all refreshing Spotify, Rihanna was becoming a mother of three in under four years.
- RZA Athelston Mayers (Born May 2022)
- Riot Rose Mayers (Born August 2023)
- Rocki Irish Mayers (Born September 2025)
She’s joked that being a "boy mom" is an Olympic sport, and honestly, looking at the paparazzi shots of her chasing toddlers in Barbados, she isn't lying. But there’s a new twist. In mid-January 2026, she popped up in the comments of an Instagram post by Montana Brown, joking about whether she should get "hot and sexy or pregnant in 2026."
Her response? "Wait! So I'm not crazy then? Bet!"
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Fans are terrified this means a fourth baby is coming before the album, but the momentum for the 2026 tour seems too heavy to stop now. She’s at a place where her family and her business empire (which now includes Fenty Hair and a reported $3 billion valuation across her brands) are the priority. Music is now her "soul passion," not her "job."
Why the Wait Actually Matters
Google 2026 is full of "comeback" stories, but Rihanna’s is different. Most artists fade away because people stop caring. Rihanna stayed more relevant than most active artists while doing literally nothing musically. She became the most-streamed Black woman artist on Spotify without a new album in a decade.
That kind of staying power is rare. It gives her the leverage to say "no" to the industry's demands for a "radio hit."
If you're looking for where she’s been, she’s been building a legacy that doesn't require her to tour to pay the bills. She’s been in the "Family Era," which A$AP Rocky says made him way more emotional and grounded. The 2026 return isn't a financial necessity; it’s an artistic choice.
What to do now if you're waiting:
- Watch the UK Stadium Calendars: Keep a very close eye on the London Stadium and Wembley schedules for August 2026.
- Ignore the "Reggae" Leaks: Rihanna herself said that's "way off." Expect something much more avant-garde and soulful.
- Check Fenty Hair Drops: She often uses her brand launches to sneak in snippets of new production or aesthetic vibes.
- Save Your Coins: A Rihanna stadium tour after a ten-year hiatus will likely be one of the most expensive tickets of the decade.
The wait for R9 has been a lesson in patience, but the 2026 "Rihanna where have been" answer is finally becoming clear. She’s coming back on her own terms, with her family in tow, and a decade's worth of evolution packed into one project.
Check back for the official tour announcement, which is rumored to drop by the end of this spring.