Heart Closes 2023 With First Concerts in 4 Years

The logo on the drum kit was prominent as sisters Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson performed as Heart on December 27, 2023), and though their new run of shows are not yet being called a reunion, the concert in Highland, Calif. sure felt like one. (Watch clips from the first three performances below.) The sisters had first made a surprise announcement on Oct. 24 of their return for a New Year’s Eve show that was held in Seattle. The Dec. 27 performance that actually marked their first date as Heart since 2019 was revealed a few days later. Since then, they began to add more shows including many for summer 2024 with festival dates in Europe as well as several U.S. stadium shows where they’ll be opening for Def Leppard and Journey. On Jan. 29, they finally announced the “Royal Flush Tour,” with special guests Cheap Trick. Tickets for are available here.

As far as a reunion goes, never say never…

The sisters had shared the stage on Oct. 10 when Nancy Wilson was a surprise guest at Ann Wilson’s concert in Santa Rosa, Calif. As the stunned audience applauded, Nancy strode across the stage and planted a kiss on her sister’s cheeck, as the crowd roared its approval. The pair performed Heart‘s classic rock favorite, “Barracuda,” marking the first time that the sisters had performed together on stage since 2019. In an extensive 2021 interview with Best Classic Bands, Nancy Wilson said, “Live Nation has put a big offer on the table for Heart for 2022. That will be a really fun thing to look forward to! Ann and I are both up for it.” Regrettably, things changed, and it never took place as the sisters again toured separately in 2022. That all changed with their big 2024 tour.

Watch them perform “Magic Man”

In 2016, the sisters had a falling out over a family dispute. Before Nancy and Ann reunited as Heart for their big “Love Alive” tour in 2019, they performed together in New York City for a benefit concert.

Whether the limited dates in Dec. 2023 would become a full reunion tour was still to be decided. In an with the 96.1 KLPX radio in Tucson, Ariz., Ann Wilson said of the concerts (via Blabbermouth.net): “We’re gonna see how it works with the Heart thing, whether it feels like a level up. If it does feel like a level up, then we’ll keep doing it. But that’s what it has to be. It can’t just slide down into jukebox time… It’s gotta be real. No going through the motions. No phoning it in. No just getting on some kind of circuit just to take people’s money and play the old songs again and again and again. No, we’re gonna make it cool, really make it cool.”

The 17-song set included not one, not two, but three Led Zeppelin covers. Watch a portion of their performance of “Stairway to Heaven” at their Dec. 28 concert…

They closed out the year on December 31 in Seattle, ending the concert with “Crazy On You” and “Auld Lang Syne.”

Heart – Yaamava’ Theater, Highland, CA, December 27, 2023 Setlist
Bebe Le Strange
Never
Love Alive
Roll the Dice
Magic Man
Little Queen
Straight On
Let’s Dance
These Dreams
(Drum Moment)
Mistral Wind
The Ocean
Alone
What About Love
Barracuda
Crazy On You

Encore
The Battle of Evermore
Stairway to Heaven

“We’re sisters, first and foremost,” Nancy Wilson said in our interview, “and that’s the most important story to tell about Heart. It’s not really a business between me and Ann. It shouldn’t really be a business. That [doesn’t] help the sisterhood. That’s where the blood is thicker than water. That’s the biggest joy to celebrate.” She turns 70 on March 16, 2024. Older sister Ann turned 73 on June 19.

Heart 2023 “Tour” (Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, AXS.com and StubHub)
Dec 27 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Theater
Dec 28 – Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena
Dec 31 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

2024

Apr 20 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Apr 22 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
Apr 25 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Apr 26 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Apr 28 – New Orleans, LA – Jazz Fest
May 01 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
May 03 – Thackerville, OK – WinStar World Casino & Resort
May 04 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
May 07 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
May 10 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
May 11 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
May 13 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
May 15 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
May 17 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
May 18 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
May 21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
May 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
May 24 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live
Jun 20 – Antwerp, BE – Graspop Metal Meeting
Jun 22 – Berlin, DE – UberEats Music Hall
Jun 24 – Stockholm, SE – Grona Lund
Jun 25 – Helsinki, FI – Ice Hall
Jun 27 – Oslo, NO – Tons of Rock Festival
Jul 01 – London, UK – The O2*
Jul 03 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena*
Jul 05 – Nottingham, UK – Capital FM Arena*
Jul 06 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena*
Jul 08 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena*
Jul 09 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro*
Jul 11 – Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU – Rockhal Club
Jul 12 – Weert, NL – Bospop Festival
Jul 30 – Cleveland, OH – Progressive Field (with Def Leppard and Journey)
Aug 01 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
Aug 02 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre (with Def Leppard and Journey)
Aug 05 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park (with Def Leppard and Journey)
Aug 07 – Quebec, ON – Videotron Centre
Aug 08 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Aug 10 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
Aug 11 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Aug 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center
Aug 15 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Aug 16 – Hinckley, MN – Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater
Aug 18 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
Aug 21 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Van Andel Arena
Aug 23 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
Aug 24 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson – Boling Arena
Aug 27 – Norfolk, VA – Scope Arena
Aug 28 – Allentown, PA – Allentown Fairgrounds – Grandstand
Sep 17 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Sep 20 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center
Sep 22 – Morrison, CO

*With Squeeze

The original Heart lineup formed in 1973. Nancy Wilson joined one year later.

Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours