The Queen of Girls Just Want to Have Fun Says Farewell
In an iconic move befitting her trailblazing career, pop legend Cyndi Lauper has announced she is retiring from the road with one final, celebratory farewell tour. The “Girls Just Want to Have Fun Farewell Tour” will see the Grammy winner playing 23 arena shows across North America this fall, giving fans one last chance to experience her infectiously joyful performances live.
The tour, billed as Lauper’s first major outing in a decade, kicks off October 18th in Montreal and concludes December 5th at the United Center in Chicago. Along the way, she’ll bring her signature blend of new wave energy and empowering anthems to iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the Kia Forum in LA, and San Francisco’s Chase Center.
While Lauper hasn’t explicitly stated her reasons for waving goodbye to life on the road, the 69-year-old artistic force has certainly earned her retirement. Her trailblazing style and feminist perspective revolutionized the pop landscape in the 1980s with era-defining hits like “Time After Time” and of course, the cultural phenomenon that was “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
Beyond the awards and record sales, Lauper’s true lasting legacy is as an outspoken champion for the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights. “I know that I probably lost business because I talked about AIDS a lot,” she reflected, “but I ought to stand up like any good Italian and stick up for my family, you know?” Her activism extended to co-founding the True Colors United Organization to address homelessness among LGBTQ youth and more recently, her Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights fund supporting reproductive rights.
For fans, this farewell run represents one final chance to revel in the enduring spirit of a pioneering, revolutionary artist. The shows promise a celebratory sendoff packed with Lauper’s unmistakable verve, those wildly idiosyncratic fashion choices, and of course, all the iconic hits that make us want to jump up and down waving our lace fans in feverish glee.
As she hands off the pop torch to a new generation, Cyndi Lauper can rest assured that her impact will never be forgotten. She was the woman who proved girls could just want to have fun – while shaking up the entire system along the way.
