Ahead of the opening night of his 2026 Land of Hope & Dreams tour, which launched on March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Bruce Springsteen told the Minnesota Star Tribune that his latest live campaign "is going to be political."
When journalist Jon Bream later put it to the 76-year-old New Jersey-born singer-songwriter that there is always "blowback for artists who take a political stand", Springsteen was utterly unrepentant.
"I don’t worry about it," he insisted. "My job is very simple: I do what I want to do, I say what I want to say, and then people get to say what they want to say about it. Those are the rules of my game. That’s fine with me.
"I don’t worry about if you’re going to lose this part of your audience," he continued. "I’ve always had a feeling about the position we play culturally, and I’m still deeply committed to that idea of the band. The blowback is just part of it. I’m ready for all that."
Springsteen had already laid out his manifesto for the run in a post on Instagram.
"We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times,": he posted. "But do not despair, the cavalry is coming.
"We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America, American democracy, American freedom, our American constitution and our sacred American dream. All of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington, D.C. Everyone, regardless of where you stand or what you believe in, is welcome. So come out and join the United Free Republic of E Street nation for an American spring of rock and rebellion."
