Paul Simon Will Play the Final Show of His Farewell Tour In New York

Paul Simon tours are, sadly, soon to be a thing of the past. The singer announced Thursday that he’ll play the final show of his Farewell Tour on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Flushing Meadow Corona Park in the Queens borough of New York City, Simon’s home base. Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, June 29, at 10 a.m.

It’s only fitting that Simon’s last handful of shows be in New York. Prior to “Homeward Bound – The Farewell Performance” at Flushing Meadow, where a concert has not been held in decades, he’ll play two shows at Madison Square Garden. All Simon’s personal earnings from the farewell show will go to a cause of his choosing, according to his website.

Simon announced his retirement from touring earlier this year, and a slate of farewell dates soon followed. The final leg of “Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour” kicked off on May 16 in Vancouver. Simon also penned a letter to his fans, explaining his farewell and what that means for live shows. You can read it here.

Simon spent much of his youth in Queens, N.Y. He said of the tour’s caboose performance on his home turf:

It seems more like fate than coincidence that I should do the final show on this final tour at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I could have ridden my bike from home to the park in about 20 minutes, when I was a kid. But this is less a goodbye than a farewell. Thank you all for the ride, I had a great time.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio also commented on the bittersweet excitement surrounding the show:

When Paul Simon sings “Homeward Bound” there’s no doubt he means New York. The grit, beauty and complexity of this city are woven into Simon’s most haunting songs, and our greatest venues have formed the backdrop of his performing career. It’s only fitting that this son of Queens comes home to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Meanwhile, Simon is still in the midst of his Farewell Tour. Find the remaining dates right here.

Even if Paul Simon is retiring from the touring game, at least we’ll always have Paste vault recordings from his concerts. Listen to audio from his 1979 show at Madison Square Garden below.