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Key developments
Dylan revives two long-absent tour songs
Cult Following's Ewan Gleadow reported that Bob Dylan performed "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, California, on June 12, 2026, its first setlist appearance since December 8, 2019. NME's Poppy Burton reported that Dylan played "I Shall Be Released" at Oregon's Cuthbert Amphitheatre on June 9, its first concert performance in 18 years, with the previous one cited as Warsaw in 2008.
Why it matters
The quick return of multiple long-absent songs suggests this tour leg is moving beyond a fixed Rough and Rowdy Ways-era template.
Sources & driving stories
CULT FOLLOWING · Ewan Gleadow
Cult Following coverageNME · Poppy Burton
NME coverageRough and Rowdy Ways tour extends further
NME's Poppy Burton reported that Dylan has extended the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour into late 2026 with additional North American dates. The report places the current run at Oregon's Cuthbert Amphitheatre on June 9, where the revived "I Shall Be Released" appeared.
Why it matters
The extension keeps Dylan's current touring cycle active and creates more room for continued setlist experimentation.
Sources & driving stories
NME · Poppy Burton
NME coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Setlists broaden beyond Rough and Rowdy
Cult Following reported that recent shows dropped several Rough and Rowdy Ways tracks while adding "Baby, Won't You Be My Baby" and mixing in Oh Mercy, Tempest, Time Out of Mind material, and multiple covers.
WORTH NOTING
Recording enforcement remains visible
NME noted tour recording prohibitions and a Glasgow fan removal tied to recirculated live photo and video footage, a notable issue for documentation of rare performances.
WORTH NOTING
New Erato-focused song reading
Tony Attwood argued that "Mother of Muses" is centered less on Mnemosyne than on Erato, linking the song to Dylan's ideas about inspiration and Nobel Prize medal imagery.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Are the rare revivals becoming a sustained rotation?
Two songs returned after long absences within the same week, but the available reporting shows individual appearances rather than a confirmed new setlist pattern.
OPEN QUESTION
Will recording limits affect tour verification?
Strict recording enforcement matters because audience footage often becomes the quickest evidence for rare live performances and arrangement changes.