Stay sharp, stay loud—this is what’s next. 🎧

Sometimes the most powerful moments happen after the lights go down. Following his Chicago show on August 24, Lil Wayne turned what could have been just another tour stop into something truly special when he met longtime fan Sade Stephens and gave her the chain with a cross pendant he'd just performed with.

Here's what makes this story hit different: Stephens has been waiting 17 years for this moment. Back in December 2008, she was planning to catch Wayne's I Am Music Tour when she suffered a cardiac arrest while roller skating that left her non-verbal and in a wheelchair. But her love for Weezy never wavered, and thanks to her mom Andrea connecting with Mack Maine, the meeting finally happened.

The heartwarming encounter shows exactly why Wayne's built such a devoted fanbase over the decades. When an artist takes time to connect with fans who've been through real struggles, that's the kind of gesture that reminds us why music matters. Sometimes the biggest flex isn't what happens on stage. It's what happens when the curtain falls.

Leave it to Chris Martin and the gang to turn their massive tour into the world's coolest environmental experiment. The Music of the Spheres tour just wrapped up as the first-ever billion-dollar tour, but here's the kicker, they slashed their CO2 emissions by 59% compared to their last stadium run.

We're talking about stadium shows powered entirely by renewable energy, kinetic dance floors that turn your moves into electricity, and fans pedaling stationary bikes to literally power the show. Those iconic LED wristbands everyone loves? 86% get returned and recycled after each gig, while the band donates everything from leftover crew toiletries to Chris Martin's actual stage-worn shirts to local charities.

But the real mic drop moment? They're putting their money where their mouth is, giving 10% of tour revenue to environmental charities and funding 13 million new trees. When your favorite band turns concert-going into a sustainability masterclass, that's the kind of fan experience that hits different.

🗳️ Cast your vote, and yes—we know you’ve got opinions. Let’s hear ’em.

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Radiohead is officially back. The band has announced its first tour in seven years, with a tightly curated run of 20 shows across five major European cities this November and December. Each city—Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen, and Berlin—will host four nights, making this a rare and intimate return to the stage. The announcement follows months of speculation and arrives ahead of their newly mixed Hail to the Thief: Live album, due October 31. With no North American dates announced and the band hinting this may be a one-off, fans will need to move quickly to witness one of rock’s most enigmatic acts back in full force.

Halsey is heading back to where it all began. The Back to Badlands Tour will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her debut album with a 22-date international run kicking off October 14 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The tour includes stops in major cities like Mexico City, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Berlin, London, and Melbourne, with dates running through February 2026. Alongside the shows, Halsey is releasing a deluxe 33-track reissue of BADLANDS, featuring unreleased orchestral versions, demos, and remixes—plus special vinyl variants for collectors. With VIP packages and fan-first presales available, this anniversary run is already shaping up to be a milestone moment for Halsey and her fans.

Ariana Grande is making her long-awaited return to the stage with the Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first full-scale run since 2019. The 27-date tour kicks off June 6, 2026, at Oakland Arena and spans nine North American cities, including Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston, and Austin, before wrapping with a five-night finale at London’s O2 Arena on August 23. Produced by Live Nation, the tour marks a major comeback after a seven-year break from touring and follows Grande’s foray into acting with roles in Wicked: For Good and Focker In-Law. With limited dates and massive demand expected, fans won’t want to miss the return of one of pop’s most powerful voices.

Get tickets here

Plain White T’s and We The Kings are teaming up for the Delilah vs Juliet Tour, a co-headlining fall run packed with 2000s emo and pop-punk nostalgia. Presented by Emo Nite, the 21-date trek kicks off October 18–19 at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas before hitting cities like Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, and Brooklyn, and wrapping November 15 at the final stop of this year’s Vans Warped Tour in Orlando. Each night will feature live sets from both bands plus DJ dance parties hosted by Emo Nite, promising a full evening of throwback energy, complete with Myspace vibes and LimeWire memories.

Get tickets here

Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns this holiday season with The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO and More Tour, an all-new production hitting 106 shows across 64 cities from November 13 through December 30. The 2025 run will feature a reimagined version of their beloved rock opera alongside a second set of fan favorites and a special 25th-anniversary tribute to Beethoven’s Last Night. Complete with TSO’s signature mix of blazing guitars, symphonic drama, lasers, pyrotechnics, and theatrical storytelling, the tour also brings back the fan-favorite TSO signing line for evening shows for the first time since 2019. With over 20 million tickets sold, $20 million donated to charity, and a spot in the Top 5 of Billboard and Pollstar’s 2025 midyear touring charts, TSO continues to be a holiday juggernaut like no other.

Get tickets here

Oceans Calling returns to the Ocean City Inlet Beach this fall with one of its biggest lineups yet. From September 26–28, the beachfront fest will host a stacked mix of rock, pop, and nostalgia-heavy favorites including Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Lenny Kravitz, Vampire Weekend, The Fray, Nelly, Cake, Good Charlotte, and many more. With three full days of music, ocean views, and major reunion energy, Oceans Calling is shaping up to be one of the East Coast’s most essential fall festivals. Tickets are still available, but with a bill this loaded, they won’t last long.

Get tickets here

Billy Strings is deep into one of his most ambitious years yet, with over 30 dates across the U.S., Europe, and Australia through the end of 2025. From intimate underplays in Owensboro and Boone to arena stops in Baltimore, Austin, and Pittsburgh, the tour also includes major international stops at Royal Albert Hall, Dublin’s National Stadium, and more. Along the way, he’ll celebrate the 25th anniversary of Beethoven’s Last Night and team up with Bryan Sutton and Royal Masat for a special acoustic trio run. With multiple nights in select cities and festival appearances like Farm Aid, this genre-blending guitarist continues to push the boundaries of bluegrass into arena territory.

Get tickets here

Audacy’s We Can Survive benefit concert returns to the East Coast for its 12th year on September 26, 2025, bringing a high-profile lineup to Newark’s Prudential Center. This year’s show features Ed Sheeran, Goo Goo Dolls, Alex Warren, and rising star Shaboozey, all coming together for one night only in support of mental health awareness. With past lineups boasting major pop, rock, and alt acts, We Can Survive continues to be a standout event where great music meets a powerful cause.

Get tickets here

Originally set for release in November 1987, Prince’s Black Album was fully pressed and promo copies distributed until he abruptly pulled it, calling the record “evil” and ordering all 500,000 copies destroyed. Most were. The album remained officially unreleased until 1994, and the original vinyl never hit stores. But in 2017, five sealed copies resurfaced. One sold for $15,000, turning a lost-era legend into one of the most sought-after records in music history. Read more here.

That’s a wrap for this week! Until next time, catch you in the pit—or next week’s email. 🎵🔥

Signing off,

The Fandiem Team