“Goodbye to Rosie, the Queen of Corona…”
Ever since he announced his farewell tour, with the “TBA” listed for the location of his final concert, speculation arose that he would return to New York City’s Central Park, the site of several memorable performances.
Legendary songwriter, recording artist and performer Paul Simon announced on June 20 he will perform the final concert of his Farewell Tour in the borough of Queens, where he spent his formative years. On Saturday, Sept. 22 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Simon and his band will bring to the stage a career-spanning repertoire of timeless hits and classics, as well as a unique selection of songs the artist has selected for this once-in-a-lifetime show.
Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound – The Farewell Performance will be the first major concert event at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in decades.
Simon will be donating all personal net-proceeds from the event to a previously-selected cause, which will be announced at a later date.
Simon said of this final show: “It seems more like fate than coincidence that I should do the final show on this final tour at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I could have ridden my bike from home to the park in about 20 minutes, when I was a kid. But this is less a goodbye than a farewell. Thank you all for the ride, I had a great time.”
Paul Simon on opening night of his Homeward Bound – Farewell Tour at Rogers Arena in Vancouver (Photo: Lester Cohen; used with permission)
“When Paul Simon sings ‘Homeward Bound,’ there’s no doubt he means New York,” said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The grit, beauty and complexity of this city are woven into Simon’s most haunting songs, and our greatest venues have formed the backdrop of his performing career. It’s only fitting that this son of Queens comes home to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.”
Tickets for Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound – The Farewell Performance at Flushing Meadows Corona Park will go on sale beginning Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. ET at axs.com. Pre-sale tickets are available on Thursday, June 28 at 10 a.m. here, using the password: HOMEWARD.
See all remaining dates of the tour below.
Related: Why Paul Simon still matters; our interview with his biographer
On Feb. 5, upon the announcement of his Farewell Tour, Simon wrote the following letter to his fans:
“I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.
“I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians. I think about music constantly. Sadly, we lost our lead guitarist and my friend of 30 years, Vincent N’guini, who died last December. His loss is not the only reason I’ve decided to stop touring, but it is a contributing factor. Mostly, though, I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing. I’d like to leave with a big Thank You to the many folks around the world who’ve come out to watch me play over the last 50 years.
“After this coming tour, I anticipate doing the occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet, ecologically.
Once again, I am very grateful for a fulfilling career and, of course, most of all to the audiences who heard something in my music that touched their hearts.”
Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour (Tickets are available here and here)
Jun 20 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
U.K. and Europe
Jun 30 – Stockholm, Sweden – Ericsson Globe
Jul 01 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
Jul 03 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Jul 05 – Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis
Jul 07 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Jul 08 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Jul 10 – Manchester, U.K. – Manchester Arena
Jul 11 – Glasgow, U.K. – SSE Hydro
Jul 13 – Dublin, Ireland* RDS Arena
Jul 15 – London, U.K.* – Hyde Park, BST Festival
* With Very Special Guests James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt
U.S. – Final Leg
Sep 05 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Sep 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sep 08 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – BB&T Center
Sep 11 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Sep 12 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre
Sep 14 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sep 15 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Sep 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sep 20 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sep 21 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sep 22 – New York, NY – Flushing Meadows Corona Park
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