KISS frontman Paul Stanley has confirmed the band will take the stage at the 2026 edition of “KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Vegas,” extending the group’s post-tour live activity following its 2023 retirement from full-scale touring.
Stanley shared the update during an April 11 Q&A at the Indy KISS Fan Expo in Indianapolis, telling fans the event is set to return and that the band is eager to play again.
Stanley explained that the band originally hesitated at the idea of a branded cruise, but the concept grew into an international draw and later shifted to Las Vegas because securing ships became increasingly difficult. He said the next Vegas installment is expected in November and will be “so much better” as organisers build on what they learned from the first landlocked edition.
According to Stanley, the Vegas format allowed the band to reconnect with fans and made the “unmasked” performances a central draw of the weekend. He also told the audience to “pack your bags,” adding that more information about the 2026 event would be announced later in the month.
“So, the funny thing with the KISS Kruise — a couple of things. When we were first approached with the idea of doing a KISS cruise, when we first heard about it, I went, ‘Who is gonna go on a KISS cruise?’ And we’ve had people from 33 countries around the world for every time we went out. So it was amazing. But the crazy part about it is that over the years everybody started doing cruises, so we can’t get a ship most of the time. So last year we decided, I said, ‘Well, let’s do a ‘KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas’.’ So we did that, and it was really fun. Having the band play was amazing and seeing everybody was great. And that was the first one. We’ll do it again this coming year. We’ll do it in November. And as good as that one was, this one’s gonna be so much better, because we learn as we’re going. And this next KISS Kruise in Vegas is gonna be awesome. I mean, we can’t wait to play, and we can’t wait to have the bands we’re gonna have and be with you again. So, pack your bags.”
The confirmation follows Alternative Nation’s recent report on how Stanley says KISS will carry on in 2026, as the group looks for selective ways to appear live without returning to the grind of a traditional world tour.
For KISS fans, the 2026 Vegas announcement signals that the band’s “final” chapter may still include special appearances, with the landlocked “Kruise” becoming the key destination event for the KISS Army moving forward.
