The Who Rehearse With Zak Starkey for Possible European Return

The Who’s ongoing farewell tour has taken another irregular detour. More than a year after a confusing cycle of firings and replacements, Roger Daltrey has confirmed that the band recently rehearsed with longtime drummer Zak Starkey for a potential European leg of dates.

Daltrey mentioned the session during a solo performance in Las Vegas, telling the audience that the rehearsal “sounded great.” Starkey responded publicly on Instagram, confirming the reunion with his usual candor and noting that this was no casual run-through. “I don’t think we’ve ever rehearsed as tough as that,” he wrote, adding that the band was “absolutely on fire.” He elaborated to Rolling Stone that he was happy to be back playing music with people he loves.

The goodwill marks a sharp turn from the personnel drama that characterized the tour’s North American stretch. Starkey, who had spent nearly three decades with the group, was initially dismissed after a benefit show in early 2025, briefly reinstated, and then fired again in May. Scott Devours subsequently stepped in to handle drumming duties.

Despite the messy split, Starkey previously told SPIN that he never stopped speaking to the band, still instinctively referring to them as “we.” The Who hasn’t performed since October 2025. Daltrey has maintained that the group’s goodbye isn’t finished, telling the Arizona Republic that they still want to