The Smashing Pumpkins Are Taking Mellon Collie on a Massive Arena Tour
The Smashing Pumpkins just announced one of the most exciting tours of the year, and honestly, it's the kind of thing fans have been waiting over a decade to hear. The Rats In A Cage Tour is a 27-date arena run kicking off September 30 and stretching through November 12, and every single night features two distinct sets. One is entirely dedicated to Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. The other pulls from the rest of their nearly four-decade catalog. That's the kind of show you clear your schedule for.
The tour was revealed during a livestream event called "A Funeral for Zero" held at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 17. The intimate event saw 300 guests witness a memorial for Billy Corgan's iconic "Zero" persona, followed by a live set that included the first performance of "Here Is No Why" since 1997. They also played "1979," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Tonight, Tonight," "Cherub Rock," and "Zero." If that setlist doesn't get you excited for what's coming this fall, I don't know what will.
Two Sets, One Night, No Filler
Here's the format. Set one is all Mellon Collie, performed in what they're calling a "highly theatrical setting." Set two draws from the rest of the catalog, from Gish all the way through Aghori Mhori Mei, with the setlist varying from night to night. That second set alone means you're going to get deep cuts alongside the hits, and no two shows will be exactly the same.
Billy Corgan put it plainly: "Staging a 'Mellon Collie'-themed show is something we've discussed for over a decade, and finally the stars have aligned and exactly on the terms I'd set." When someone who has been thinking about a show for ten-plus years finally pulls the trigger, you know it's going to be something special.
Why Mellon Collie Still Matters
For anyone who needs the refresher, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness dropped on October 24, 1995. It's a 28-track double album that sold over 10 million copies in the US alone and earned RIAA diamond certification. It gave us "1979," "Tonight, Tonight," "Zero," and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings." It racked up seven Grammy nominations including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. It's not just a classic '90s rock record. It's one of the most ambitious albums anyone has ever put out, period.
The band spent 2025 celebrating the album's 30th anniversary in a big way. There was a deluxe vinyl reissue featuring 80 minutes of previously unreleased recordings from the 1996 tour, a special performance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago reimagining the album's songs, and even culinary collaborations with Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Erewhon. Last November, three new versions of the album hit shelves via UMe, including a limited-edition vinyl box set with the album and live audio on six LPs, new liner notes by Corgan in a hardbound book, a custom tarot card deck, seven frameable lithographs, all housed in a velvet slipcase. That's how you do an anniversary.
All 27 Tour Dates
This is a proper arena tour hitting major markets across the US and Canada. Here's the full routing:
Sep. 30 – Columbus, OH @ The Schottenstein Center
Oct. 02 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Oct. 03 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
Oct. 04 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Oct. 06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 07 – Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
Oct. 09 – Montréal, QC @ Centre Bell
Oct. 11 – Madison, WI @ Kohl Center
Oct. 13 – Saint Paul, MN @ Grand Casino Arena
Oct. 14 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Oct. 16 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct. 17 – Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Oct. 18 – Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena
Oct. 20 – Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Oct. 22 – Nashville, TN @ The Truth
Oct. 24 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
Oct. 25 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
Oct. 27 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
Oct. 29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
Oct. 30 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
Nov. 01 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Nov. 03 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
Nov. 05 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
Nov. 06 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
Nov. 08 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
Nov. 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ Mortgage Matchup Center
Nov. 12 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
No opening acts have been announced yet for the tour. I'll update this when that info drops.
How to Get Tickets
Presales start tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. local time. Citi cardholders and Verizon customers get first access, running through Wednesday, May 20 at 10 p.m. local. If you're in the band's official fan club, the VIZ CLUB presale opens Wednesday, May 20 at 9 a.m. local and runs through 10 p.m. that same day. A Live Nation All Access presale follows on Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. local.
General public on-sale is Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. local time through smashingpumpkins.com.
The band is also offering VIP ticket packages that include a pre-show acoustic performance and Q&A with the band, VIP lounge access, memorabilia, exclusive merch, and priority merch shopping. VIP presales also begin Tuesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. local.
Citi cardholders can find presale details at citientertainment.com. Verizon customers can check the myAccess section in the My Verizon app for their exclusive presale info.