Laurent Garnier plans to step back from touring “very soon”

Laurent Garnier has hinted that he will be stepping back from touring “very soon”.

In an interview with France Inter Radio, broadcast on 10th April, Garnier explained that he would be drastically reducing the number of live dates he does over the coming months. He explained that after he had fulfilled existing bookings, he would no longer appear at big festivals and the few shows he does book will be in smaller venues.

“I’m going to stop touring like I always have,” he said. “I’ll still do a few dates, but the idea is to do ten in the year, and in small places where I still have my place and little things to say. But finding myself in front of big crowds, no. I haven’t done big festivals since this year.”

Key to his decision, he explained, was his age, insisting that nightlife was a place for young people. “I’ve always told the people I work with that they really need to warn me the day I cross over to the other side of the mountain,” he added. “Where I become a kind of dusty jukebox.”

This isn’t the first time Garnier has spoken of plans to stop touring. In 2023, while announcing plans for the ‘33 Tours Et Puis S’en Vont’ album, he made clear his intentions to step back from touring, but did qualify the statement by adding that he would “always be a DJ”.

He does have a few live dates still on the calendar, however, including sets at Porto and Tignes, followed by a Japanese tour and several European festival dates.

Listen to the full interview here.

Garnier’s four-mix contribution to fabric’s 25th anniversary celebrations was named one of DJ Mag’s favourite compilations of 2024.