The Smashing Pumpkins Kill Zero & Announce Tour

On a warm Sunday night in Hollywood, alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins staged something truly theatrical — a full-blown funeral for Zero, the iconic alter ego frontman Billy Corgan embodied throughout the ’90s. The era is officially over, and the band made sure to send it off in style.”ZERO IS DEAD,” the official announcement declared. “In the brisk and heady autumn of 1995, Zero appeared without warning: as mirror, wound, joke, threat, prayer and then, this reflection in glass. Countless souls understood. Countless others did not, and yet, the lonely kept him alive far longer and into some greater influence than anyone might have intended. For that, we know Zero and those who loved him are grateful.”

A Funeral Fit for a Rock Alter Ego

The event, titled “In Memoriam: Zero,” unfolded at the Hollywood Legion Theater on May 17th, 2026, drawing roughly 300 guests to what was billed as a private requiem. At the center of it all sat a chrome casket adorned with the band’s signature star symbol. Corgan’s wife, Chloe Mendel, delivered a mock eulogy, and comedian Howie Mandel made a surprise appearance with a short speech of his own — because apparently no rock funeral is complete without an unexpected guest.

Once pallbearers carried the casket out of the room, attendees were ushered into an auditorium where a screen dropped the real news: The Smashing Pumpkins are heading back out on the road for The Rats in a Cage Tour.

The Band Takes the Stage

Wasting no time, the band launched straight into their beloved hit “1979” the moment they hit the stage. The performance had a notably hushed, ceremonial energy between songs — long stretches of silence filled the room with each guitar change, giving the night an almost eerie, reverent atmosphere. About halfway through the set, guitarist James Iha finally broke the tension by checking in with the crowd and confirming the upcoming tour.

The evening’s setlist leaned heavily into classic material, with the band working through fan favorites including “Tonight, Tonight,” “Jellybelly,” “Here is No Why,” “Zero,” and “The Everlasting Gaze” before the requiem officially concluded and tour dates reclaimed the screen.

The Rats in a Cage Tour Details

The tour kicks off September 30th in Columbus, Ohio, and makes its way to the Kia Forum in Inglewood on November 12th. According to a press release, the show will be structured around two distinct sets:

  • Set one will be a fully theatrical celebration of the seminal 1995 RIAA Diamond-certified album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, marking its recent 30th anniversary
  • Set two will span the band’s nearly four-decade career, pulling from hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites with enough night-to-night variation to keep things fresh

Corgan himself confirmed that the Mellon Collie-themed concept has been in the works for years. “Staging a Mellon Collie-themed show is something we’ve discussed for over a decade, and finally the stars have aligned and exactly on the terms I’d set: which was to build a special night around its most enduring aspirations and ideas,” Billy Corgan said. “With set 1 of the Rats In A Cage tour exclusively featuring Mellon Collie songs in a highly theatrical setting, and set 2 drawing from the rest of our canon so that there’s a decent amount of variance as to what songs we’ll play from night to night: from our first in ‘Gish’ to our last in ‘Aghori Mhori Mei.'”

Whether you’re mourning Zero or celebrating what comes next, one thing is clear — The Smashing Pumpkins are nowhere near done making noise.

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