The $10,000 cigarette: Josh Homme defies smoking ban in Detroit stadium
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Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme defied a smoking ban at Detroit's Ford Field, lighting a cigarette on stage despite facing a reported $10,000 (£7,410) fine, during a support slot on the Foo Fighters' North American stadium tour. The incident, which took place on 6 August 2026, saw Homme rail against the venue's rules in an expletive-laden speech to the crowd, framing his defiance as a stand against corporate control before lighting up as the band closed their set with "Song for the Dead".
QOTSA are opening for the Foo Fighters on the "Take Cover" tour, which began in Toronto on 4 August and runs until September, with Dave Grohl citing his decades-long friendship with Homme as the reason for inviting the band along. It marked QOTSA's first North American outing since their orchestral "Catacombs" tour earlier in the year, and their Detroit set featured an 11-track run through hits including "No One Knows" and "Go With the Flow". It remains unclear whether Homme was ultimately issued the fine.
- Josh Homme smoked on stage despite a $10,000 Ford Field fine threat
- He blasted "corporate assholes" over the venue's smoking ban
- QOTSA are supporting Foo Fighters on their "Take Cover" tour until September
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Queens of the Stone Age, the rock band fronted by Josh Homme, are currently touring North America as the support act for the Foo Fighters on their "Take Cover" stadium tour, which began in Toronto on 4 August 2026. The tour marks the band's first North American shows since their earlier "Catacombs" orchestral tour, and it came about through Homme's long-standing friendship with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
Many indoor and outdoor stadiums in the United States, including Detroit's Ford Field, enforce strict no-smoking policies, with breaches typically carrying financial penalties for the venue or performer. Homme has a reputation for outspoken, confrontational stage banter, which forms the backdrop to the events at the Detroit show on 6 August 2026.
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