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Gene Simmons explains why Kiss retired in 2023: “You’ve got to know”
Gene Simmons says Kiss ended its touring career in 2023 while the band could still deliver the spectacle fans expected. He argues that stepping away at the right time showed respect for their audience and helped preserve the group’s identity.
Simmons described the physical strain of performing in elaborate costumes, including armour weighing about 50 to 70 pounds, platform boots and stunts such as spitting fire and flying above the stage. He is 77 and said the band wanted to create a level of “bombast” they had not seen before; a documentary about their farewell tour is due to debut on 19 November 2026.
In short
- Simmons says Kiss retired from touring before losing its former force.
- Costumes could weigh 50 to 70 pounds.
- A documentary about the farewell tour is due in November 2026.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Retiring while the band could still deliver its demanding spectacle may be seen as a way to respect fans and protect Kiss’s legacy. Simmons’s account of the physical strain suggests the decision also recognised the limits of performing safely and convincingly in heavy costumes and platform boots.
The case against
Fans could reasonably feel that ending tours deprived them of future chances to see a band whose live shows remained a major part of its appeal. They might also argue that Kiss could have adapted the performances or continued in a different format, allowing the group to evolve rather than treating its established spectacle as something that had to be preserved unchanged.
Explained simply
Kiss are an American rock band known for their theatrical concerts as well as their music. Members perform in distinctive make-up and costumes, with stage effects and stunts forming a large part of the show.
The band’s final tour ended in 2023, bringing its decades-long run of touring to a close. Simmons has said that demanding costumes and performances made touring physically difficult, and that stopping while the group could still meet fans’ expectations mattered to how Kiss would be remembered.
The decision highlights a challenge for long-running bands: how to maintain a familiar live show as performers age and the physical demands grow. Kiss’s farewell tour also gave the band a chance to present its stage spectacle as part of its legacy.