Just 15 months on from their final performance, veteran rockers KISS have announced their return to the live stage with a one-off ‘unmasked’ concert.
The show was announced via an email sent to fans, confirming that the group would be performing as part of the three-day KISS Army Storms Vegas event, which runs from Nov. 14 – 16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Though a full rundown of activities are said to arrive shortly, the headline of the message is KISS’ intention to perform a makeup-free show as part of the event. The performance will be the band’s first since December 2023, where they wrapped up their End of The Road Tour with a two-night stand at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Despite their large-scale farewell tour (their second, after 2001’s fittingly-titled KISS Farewell Tour), fans had speculated that the band could indeed take to the stage again at some point. Bassist Gene Simmons was quick to nix that claim, clarifying the band’s plans in an interview with Rolling Stone in November 2023: “I’ll say right here, right now, my hand on the Bible, it will be the final KISS-in-makeup appearance.”
KISS had previously appeared without their makeup in 1983, beginning their ‘unmasked’ era alongside the release of their Lick It Up album. This era would continue until 1996, when the group readopted their iconic look ahead of their highly-anticipated Alive/Worldwide Tour.
Since the band’s final 2023 performance, news had emerged the group were to bring their live set to the digital space, with these appearances set to kick off in Las Vegas in 2027. “It’s a must-see, go-to experience,” Stanley told Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast in 2024. “It’s beyond anything that anyone else has contemplated.”
“We’re creating something that’s not a concert,” he added. “The idea of a hologram — and it’s not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot — but the idea [of] a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring.”
Notably, the email sent to fans announcing the forthcoming November show also noted that “fans can expect a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick.” While it’s unclear if Kulick plans to perform with the band or separately as part of the event, the guitarist had previously been an official member from 1984 until 1996. One of only two musicians to have not worn makeup while a member of the band (the other being Mark St. John), Kulick had performed with the band again at their KISS Kruise events in 2018 and 2021.
News of the forthcoming show also coincides with the fact that Simmons had postponed 17 dates on his forthcoming tour to 2026. An announcement confirmed that the dates were not related to Simmons’ health, but offered no further details. This same tour also generated notice after Simmons revealed he would be offering fans the chance to serve as his “personal assistant & band roadie for the day.”
