How the Rolling Stones Pulled Off the No Filter Tour in a Pandemic: Social Distancing Onstage and Reinventing the Rock Show

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the Stones had to cancel the North American leg of their No Filter tour just days before it was supposed to start in San Diego. The band had already postponed the European leg, but the US dates—originally set for spring and summer—were pushed to fall 2021. That gap gave them time to figure out how to make a stadium rock show work in a world of masks and distancing.

The most visible change was onstage: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards typically share the same microphone or stand shoulder-to-shoulder during songs like “Sympathy for the Devil.” In 2021, they kept at least six feet apart, with Jagger sticking to a dedicated area at the front of the stage and Richards staying near his amp. The horn section—a staple of Stones tours since the ’70s—was dropped entirely to reduce the number of people on stage. The backup singers were placed behind plexiglass barriers, and the entire crew was reduced to a minimum.

Behind the scenes, the band adopted a “bubble” similar to those used by pro sports. Everyone traveling—including the crew, drivers, and catering staff—was tested daily. The stage design itself changed: the usual massive walkways and B-stage were scrapped, and the band played a single, streamlined setup to limit movement and exposure. The most interesting adaptation came from Mick Jagger, who, at 78, worked with a choreographer to create a new stage show that kept him mobile but socially distant—no running into the crowd, no handing out tambourines. “I can’t go out into the audience and high-five people,” Jagger told Rolling Stone. “You have to find a new way to connect.”