Smashing Pumpkins kick off their 28-date North American arena tour tonight, September 30th, in Columbus, Ohio. The “Rats in a Cage Tour” celebrates the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the band’s 1995 double album. Each show splits into two sets: the first plays only songs from Mellon Collie, staged theatrically, while the second draws from the band’s four-decade career.
Billy Corgan and company start in Columbus at Schottenstein Center, then move through Boston, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Montréal, Chicago, Charlotte, Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle and more. The arena run ends at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on November 12th, followed by a co-headlining spot at Darker Waves in Huntington Beach two days later, sharing the bill with Morrissey.
The Setlist Structure
The tour takes its name from the chorus of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” one of the album’s enduring singles. Corgan told fans that the band had talked about building a show around Mellon Collie for over a decade, keeping part of it flexible so songs could change nightly.
The first set is a Mellon Collie deep dive, performed in a theatrical setting. The second set opens the door to everything else the band has recorded since 1991.
What Else Is Happening
Last year, Smashing Pumpkins worked with the Lyric Opera of Chicago to reimagine Mellon Collie with an orchestra, chorus and operatic vocalists. The album also got a 30th anniversary reissue with previously unreleased recordings from their 1996 tour.
The band recently returned to Chicago for Lollapalooza, where they brought out Olivia Rodrigo and Yungblud to join them on stage. Corgan has also confirmed that the band reunited with producer Butch Vig, whose work on Gish and Siamese Dream helped define the early years, to record a new song expected to arrive this year.
Tickets are available now. Fans can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout.
Dates and Venues
Here is the full itinerary:
- 09/30 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
- 10/02 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
- 10/03 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
- 10/04 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
- 10/06 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
- 10/07 — Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
- 10/09 — Montréal, QC @ Centre Bell
- 10/11 — Madison, WI @ Kohl Center
- 10/13 — Saint Paul, MN @ Grand Casino Arena
- 10/14 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
- 10/16 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
- 10/17 — Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
- 10/18 — Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena
- 10/20 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- 10/22 — Nashville, TN @ The Truth
- 10/24 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
- 10/25 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
- 10/27 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
- 10/29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
- 10/30 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
- 11/01 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
- 11/03 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
- 11/05 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
- 11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
- 11/08 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
- 11/11 — Phoenix, AZ @ Mortgage Matchup Center
- 11/12 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
- 11/14 — Huntington Beach, CA @ Darker Waves
Commentary
This is a band marking its own history without repeating itself. A Mellon Collie set lets longtime fans hear the album whole again, while the open-ended second set keeps newer listeners engaged.
The Darker Waves co-headline slot with Morrissey pairs two acts with overlapping histories and audiences, giving the final stretch a distinct identity after a long run of arenas.
The ticket deal is worth noting too. A $20 discount on a $200+ order with code COS20 is a modest but useful bonus for fans planning ahead.
Key Facts Box
- Tour: “Rats in a Cage Tour”
- Dates: 28 shows, beginning September 30th, ending November 14th
- Anniversary: 30th year of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
- First set: Only Mellon Collie songs, theatrical staging
- Second set: Draws from four decades of band material
- Discount: $20 off orders of $200+ with code COS20
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.