SEPULTURA's Final Concert Will Take Place 'At The End Of 2026': 'There's No Reason For Us To Stop In A Hurry'

In a recent interview with Germany's Metal Hammer magazine, guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke about SEPULTURA's plans for the remainder of the Brazilian band's farewell tour, which launched in early 2024. Asked where the final SEPULTURA concert will take place, Andreas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are planning to do a very big show in São Paulo, Brazil, or in [SEPULTURA's original hometown of] Belo Horizonte. We're still balancing these ideas. But at the end of 2026, we'd like to do this last show. We'd like to stretch [out the tour]. There's no reason for us to stop in a hurry just because we announced [the] last [tour] two years ago or so. We had a great time last year. This year is already looking great…. We're doing Lollapalooza in South America — Brazil, Argentina and Chile. We have a few shows in Central America, a few festivals this year in Europe, a few special concerts. In 2026 we'd like to do all the big festivals and finish in Brazil."

Regarding what the farewell tour has been like so far, Andreas said:  "It's amazing. And it's great to feel and to see that SEPULTURA is important in so many people's lives. A lot of people are very emotional coming to the shows, remembering the first show or the first shirt, the first song they ever heard. Some people that met their wives in a SEPULTURA concert, they got married, they bring their kids. It's amazing.

"Heavy metal, it's a big family, not only the SEPULTURA fans, but all the metal community," he continued. "It's a big family. And it's great to see that a lot of people that never seen SEPULTURA before are coming to see SEPULTURA for the first time, which is great. And not only young people — people that are following SEPULTURA for so many years, they've never seen SEPULTURA live, and now that we say this is the last [tour we will do], they are leaving their houses to come to see us. So it's great. We're having the best times. And everything is the way it's supposed to be, the way we planned — to celebrate. It's not a sad or melancholic situation. We feel great. We are having the best time of our lives and celebrating. It's a very thankful feeling for our fans."

Less than two months ago, Kisser was asked by Reality Check TV about the possibility of reuniting with original SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera and drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera for a final show to cap off the band's ongoing farewell tour. He said: "I hope so. The idea is to do a very last show [in 2026] in São Paulo, Brazil, where we have all the guests, friends to celebrate our history."

He continued: "There's no reason to be fighting. We just go on stage, enjoy ourselves. We know how to play the songs. It's gonna be a party for the fans. Forty years of history, it's a lot — many albums, many different changes and different styles of music. And it's gonna be an amazing party — I hope so — and hopefully everybody will be a part [of it]."

SEPULTURA kicked off the North American leg of the massive "Celebrating Life Through Death" farewell tour on September 17, 2024 at the Concord Music Hall in Chicago, Illinois. The band played a career-spanning set that honors SEPULTURA's 40 years of existence. Joining SEPULTURA on this tour were Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY, iconic New York hardcore pioneers AGNOSTIC FRONT, and São Paulo, Brazil's death/thrash metallers CLAUSTROFOBIA.

SEPULTURA is putting together a live album commemorating their last run of shows. The band is recording 40 songs in 40 different cities for what will be a "massive compilation of our best, most energetic moments on stage," according to a statement released by SEPULTURA in December 2023.

Asked in a new interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion if SEPULTURA's final show will also be included in the package, Andreas said: "Who knows? Everything is possible. We did three big shows in São Paulo [Brazil] before we went to the States. And we recorded the whole show — the cameras, DVD and stuff. Of course, this stuff that we're recording for the live album is audio only. And we are planning to have the last farewell show in São Paulo in 2026, so we like to go places, we like to visit places that we've never been before. We like to do our goodbye in a relaxed mood — no hurry. There's no reason really to rush anything. We are enjoying the moment so much. We are celebrating the momentum. It's fantastic. It's amazing. So it's something that is gonna be on the recording as well, this great vibe, the connection we have with the crowd and stuff. But, yeah, everything is possible. I mean, of course, the last show, [it] would be great to have a register. We like to invite all the ex-members, including the brothers, Cavalera brothers. Let's see what happens. We're working towards that, to have a big celebration for the fans."

Acknowledging the fact that SEPULTURA had an acrimonious split with Max Cavalera nearly 30 years ago, Andreas said: "We don't care who is right or wrong. We're never gonna get to that point. [Laughs] We have different point of views and different perspectives about same historical events and stuff. So let's jam, let's have a good time for the fans, for us, for ourselves, and really close this amazing 43 years or 44, whatever it's gonna be at the time, in peace with ourselves, and really reach for something different afterwards. At least in my point of view, I like to, of course, continue with music and everything, but maybe do something different. Who knows?"

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, Kisser and vocalist Derrick Green were asked about their plans for after the completion of the farewell tour. Andreas said: "I don't know, and it feels great. I want to study acoustic guitar, and to create instructional material on the SEPULTURA music. I've done small things here and there, but not a complete overview of my guitar playing and writing. I will decide when the time comes, but right now it is time to celebrate the moment."

Derrick added: "I want to do a lot more with the TV show I'm working on, 'Highway To Health'. I've also been interested in doing voiceover work in animation or commercials. Musically, I'd like to do something outside of metal with more singing, but if somebody approaches with something I think is intriguing, I'm definitely open to that, because I never want to step away from music."

Asked if Andreas and Derrick will still work together in the future, Kisser quipped: "Nah. We only talk to each other by contract. When the contract is done, we're done. [Laughs] No, of course there are a lot of possibilities. I would love to work with Derrick outside of SEPULTURA. We have the idea for a reggae project on the cards, which we have a great name for. The comfort zone is the worst thing that can happen to an artist. It would be boring to stop SEPULTURA and do something else that is SEPULTURA-like."

SEPULTURA kicked off its farewell tour on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The sold-out show marked the band's debut performance with drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who previously played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

SEPULTURA announced drummer Eloy Casagrande's departure on February 27, 2024, explaining in a statement that he was leaving to join "another project", with Eloy later confirming that he is the new drummer of SLIPKNOT.

The news of Eloy's exit from SEPULTURA came just two months after the band announced it would celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024 by embarking on a "farewell tour" which will cover the entire globe.

In SEPULTURA's statement, the remaining bandmembers expressed their shock over Casagrande's departure, saying they were "taken by surprise" that their now-former drummer would "abandon everything related to SEPULTURA" less than a month prior to the start of the tour.

Photo credit: Edu Defferrari