Run the Jewels Confirm Farewell Tour with Killer Mike and El-P
After more than a decade of seismic collaborations, Run the Jewels have officially confirmed that their next run of shows will be their last as a touring unit. The Atlanta-New York duo of Mike and El-P took to social media this week to announce a farewell tour that will roll through North America, Europe and selected dates in Australia and New Zealand, giving fans one last chance to witness the pair live on stage.
For Australian listeners who grew up catching the duo at festivals like Splendour in the Grass and St Jerome's Laneway, the confirmation brings a bittersweet feeling. The pair have built a devoted following across the country, and promoters are already preparing for high demand, with shows likely to sell out within hours of general sale going live.
The Announcement and What It Means
Run the Jewels dropped a short but heavy-hitting statement confirming that the upcoming trek will close out their live chapter together. In the message, Mike and El-P reflected on how the project began almost by accident and grew into one of the most respected partnerships in modern underground hip hop. They thanked fans for turning their records, merch and live shows into a movement that stretched far beyond the typical rap audience.
The duo were specific that this is not a breakup in any creative sense. Both artists have signalled they will continue making music on their own and collaborate with other producers and rappers. The farewell tour is about stepping away from the constant grind of international touring, which has taken a toll on both performers over the years. For anyone who has caught them at a sweaty Enmore Theatre or a packed Forum Melbourne, the decision to end on their own terms feels like a fitting bookend to a remarkable run.
Australian Tour Dates and Venues
The Australian arm of the farewell tour is set to hit four cities, with promoter announcements expected in the coming weeks. Sydney is likely to land a date at the iconic Enmore Theatre, a venue known for its intimate standing-room setup that has hosted countless hip hop legends. Melbourne fans can probably expect a Forum Melbourne show, while Brisbane has historically welcomed international rap acts at the Riverstage. Perth is on the cards for a one-off at the Astor or a larger outdoor space, and Adelaide looks set to miss out on this round based on early routing rumours.
Local ticketing is expected to go through the usual Australian channels, with presales through the artist fan club and selected partners before general sale. Australian hip hop fans are notoriously quick off the mark, especially for legacy acts, so setting alarms and having payment details ready will be essential. The pricing is expected to sit in line with similar international rap tours, with seated tickets starting lower and standing and VIP options going up.
A Look Back at the Run the Jewels Legacy
Formed in 2013 after years of friendship, Run the Jewels blended Mike's booming, sermon-style flow with El-P's glitchy, abrasive production to create something entirely new. Their self-titled debut arrived almost as a side project but quickly built a cult following, boosted by an innovative free release strategy and the now-iconic comic-style cover art from their late collaborator. RTJ2 followed in 2014 and cemented them as a force, with tracks like "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" becoming anthems for protest movements and underground clubs alike.
RTJ3 dropped in late 2020 after a long delay caused by the global pandemic, arriving as one of the most politically charged records of that strange year. The duo followed it with the RTJ4 project in 2022, which some critics argued was their sharpest and most focused work. Their Australian shows have always carried extra weight, with local hip hop scenes from the Hilltop Hoods camp to the Bliss n Eso crew citing the duo as a major influence on their own music and stage energy.
| Album | Release Year | Key Themes | Standout Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run the Jewels | 2013 | Vigilante justice, friendship | "Run the Jewels," "Banana Clipper" |
| Run the Jewels 2 | 2014 | Anti-establishment, rebellion | "Close Your Eyes," "Lie, Cheat, Steal" |
| Run the Jewels 3 | 2020 | Pandemic reflection, protest | "Walking in the Snow," "Junktown" |
| Run the Jewels 4 | 2022 | Survival, legacy | "The Ground Below," "Holy Calamafin" |
Final Album and Recent Releases
Alongside the tour announcement, the pair confirmed that work on a final Run the Jewels record is well underway, with a release slated for later in the tour cycle. El-P has been spotted in studios across Brooklyn and Atlanta over the past year, and Mike has hinted that the new material will pull from some of the unreleased material they have been sitting on for years. The approach matches their pattern of giving away as much as possible, with previous records dropping for free online to reach as many listeners as possible.
The duo's individual work has also been turning heads recently. Mike's solo output and guest verses have stayed sharp, while El-P's production credits for other artists continue to shape the underground sound. For fans wanting to dig deeper into El-P's wider world of production and collaborations, his full discography archive offers a thorough look at how his ear has shaped rap music across continents.
Fan Reactions to the Farewell
Reaction to the farewell tour news has been immediate and emotional, with timelines filling up with clips from past shows and fans sharing memories of catching the duo at smaller venues. Australian fans in particular have been sharing stories of catching them at the now-closed Rocket Bar in Adelaide and at festivals like Falls Festival and Laneway, where their sets routinely ranked among the highlights of the weekend.
The response from local hip hop heads has been a mix of grief and gratitude, with many crediting Run the Jewels as the act that opened the door for heavier, more political rap to find an audience in Australia. Younger artists from the Adelaide and Brisbane scenes have called the duo a turning point for the local underground, and several Australian emcees have already posted tributes on social media tagging the duo and asking for one last show in their hometown.
Tickets for the Australian leg are expected to go on sale shortly after international dates are announced, and anyone hoping to attend should plan ahead. Joining the official Run the Jewels mailing list will give early access to presale codes, and following local promoters on social media will help lock in exact on-sale times. Lock in your subscription to the site newsletter for instant alerts when presale windows open across the country, and keep this page bookmarked as the definitive guide to every date, ticket drop and surprise addition to the final Run the Jewels itinerary.