Why the Rolling Stones’ 2002 'Licks' Tour Had Three Stages and a Wild Opening-Act Lineup

The Rolling Stones’ 2002 Licks tour was the first time a major rock band officially ran three parallel stage designs — theater, arena, and stadium — all on the same tour. Instead of just scaling up the same show, they built entirely different sets depending on the venue. The theater shows (2,000–5,000 seats) were stripped-down, almost club-level sets mostly in the U.S. and Europe, with the band playing deep cuts and rarities they hadn’t touched in decades. The arena shows had a more elaborate B-stage and lights, while the stadium shows were the full pyro-and-jumbotron spectacle.

That flexibility also extended to the opening acts. Instead of one warm-up band for the whole tour, the Stones mixed it up by city and venue. Sheryl Crow opened a handful of European stadium dates, The Strokes played a few arena shows in the U.S. and Japan, and other slots went to acts like Ryan Adams, The Corrs, and No Doubt. The idea was to match the opener’s energy to the room — a garage-rock band like The Strokes made sense for a theater, but not a 60,000-seat football stadium. It also let the Stones signal that they still paid attention to new music, even while celebrating their own 40-year history.