17 Aug 26
Eric Clapton will return to the US this September for a short run of six concerts, with stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Kansas City. The shows precede his Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin at the end of the month.
Joining him will be longtime band members Nathan East (bass/vocals), Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Tim Carmon (Hammond organ/keyboards), Sonny Emory (drums), Sharon White (backing vocals) and Katie Kissoon (backing vocals).
Audiences can expect both electric and acoustic sets drawing from Eric’s extensive catalog, along with the blues that have long remained central to his live shows.
The tour kicks off in Detroit on September 6. Eric first performed in the Motor City nearly 60 years ago, when Cream played three nights at the Grande Ballroom on October 13, 14 and 15, 1967. The Grande became a favorite venue for Cream, who headlined there a dozen times during the band’s brief lifespan. Following the band’s final Detroit performance at Olympia Stadium on October 12, 1968, Eric headed to the Grande, where he sat in with John Mayall, his mentor in the Bluesbreakers. In the decades since, Detroit has remained a regular tour stop. September’s concert at Little Caesars Arena will be his first in the city since 2022.
Next up is Cincinnati, a city Eric didn’t visit until November 26, 1970, when Derek and the Dominos performed there. This year’s concert at Heritage Bank Center will mark his 12th appearance in Cincinnati and his first in 16 years.
On September 11, Eric and his band head to Chicago’s United Center. Eric first performed in Chicago with Cream on April 27, 1968, during the band’s second US tour. Across the decades, fans in the Windy City have seen everything from surprise late-night appearances at The Limelight to the now-historic club shows at Buddy Guy’s Legends in 1994. This year, Eric returns to the United Center for the 12th time and makes his first Chicago appearance in four years.
Milwaukee, the fourth stop on this year’s tour, is another city Eric first visited with Cream in 1968. It would be 15 years before he returned, headlining Summerfest in 1983, with additional headline appearances at the festival in 1985 and 2010. He also performed five times at the Bradley Center. The September 13 concert will mark Eric’s 11th appearance in the city and his first at Fiserv Forum.
Eric’s history in the Twin Cities dates back to 1968, when he first visited the area with Cream, although it would be another 11 years before he performed in St. Paul. Since that first St. Paul concert in 1979, the city has hosted some memorable shows, including the opening night of the US leg of the Pilgrim Tour in 1998. That concert fell on Eric’s 53rd birthday and featured a 20-piece orchestra. This year’s concert on September 15 at Grand Casino Arena will mark Eric’s 10th performance in St. Paul.
The limited US tour wraps up in Kansas City on September 17 before Eric heads to Austin for the Crossroads Guitar Festival on September 26 and 27. His first solo concert in Kansas City came during his now-historic 1975 tour, with Santana as support. He even gave a nod to his surroundings that night with a performance of the hit song “Kansas City.” Nearly two decades later, the song made another appearance when Eric closed his 1994 Kansas City blues concert with it as an encore, joined by support act Jimmie Vaughan. More than 30 years later, Jimmie will once again open for Eric on all six dates of this year’s US tour.
Tickets are available through EricClapton.com, and the links below:
Eric Clapton USA 2026
September 6 – Detroit, Little Caesars Arena – Get Tickets
September 8 – Cincinnati, Heritage Bank Center – Get Tickets
September 11 – Chicago, United Center – Get Tickets
September 13 – Milwaukee, Fiserv Forum – Get Tickets
September 16 – St. Paul, Grand Casino Arena – Get Tickets
September 19 – Kansas City, T-Mobile Center – Get Tickets
Eric Clapton’s 2026 Crossroads Guitar Festival:
September 26 – Austin, Moody Center – Get Tickets
September 27 – Austin, Moody Center – Get Tickets