Rock Hall 2026 Goes Ahead Tonight as Oasis, Sade and Iron Maiden Skip the Ceremony
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026 takes its bow tonight — but three of the night's biggest names won't be in the room.
The induction ceremony takes place on Saturday, November 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the second straight year the event has been held at the downtown venue. It is being taped for broadcast later, so fans will not be watching it live — but the night's absences have already become one of the biggest stories of the weekend.
This year's Performer inductees are Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. The Early Influence Award honours Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons, while the Musical Excellence Award goes to Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin. Television pioneer Ed Sullivan receives the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Yet the class photo will have some notable gaps. Oasis will not attend or perform, according to Rolling Stone — and Noel Gallagher has a very different gig on Saturday night, playing Goldie's EFG Jazz Festival at London's Royal Festival Hall. Sade confirmed their absence earlier in the week, and Iron Maiden are missing the ceremony because of Australian tour dates that overlap with the event.
A Night of Big Names — and Big Absences
The Hall has not officially confirmed a full attendance list. But the confirmed no-shows are already shaping how the night will be remembered — a celebration of some of the most influential acts in music history, with three of them honoured in absentia.
For Oasis, the absence continues a long pattern of the Gallagher brothers doing things on their own terms. The band's induction is one of the most talked-about honours of the year, and fans had hoped for a reunion moment on stage. Instead, Noel will be across the Atlantic, performing in London on the very same night.
Sade's absence is quieter but no less felt. The band, fronted by Sade Adu, has always kept a low profile, and their decision to skip the ceremony fits a career built on letting the music speak for itself. Iron Maiden's reason is the most straightforward of all: the metal legends are simply on the other side of the world, playing dates in Australia.
Meanwhile, two of the night's most anticipated honourees are expected to be there in person. Phil Collins, 75, plans to attend his solo induction, although Billboard reports he is physically unable to perform. Billy Idol, 70, is expected to both attend and perform — and Wu-Tang Clan could take the stage too, after earning their first nomination.
Billy Idol's Big Weekend in Los Angeles
Idol's induction caps off a remarkable week in his adopted hometown. On Friday, November 13, Los Angeles declared "Billy Idol Day" — Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez honoured Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens at City Hall, with an acoustic set and a concert on the Spring Street lawn. Idol, who has lived in Los Angeles since 1987, joked about receiving the honour on Friday the 13th.
For the city, it was a fitting warm-up to Saturday night. For Idol, it was a reminder of how far the journey has taken him — from punk-era London to a place on one of music's biggest stages, in the city he has called home for nearly four decades.
The ceremony also continues the Hall's recent run at the Peacock Theater, which hosted last year's event as well. With the show taped rather than broadcast live, the moments everyone ends up talking about may not be the ones on stage, but the empty chairs. The rock world is already in a reflective mood after Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor announced his retirement, and Rosalía swept the Latin Grammy Awards with five wins this week — a huge few days for music.
Which Rock Hall 2026 inductee would you most want to see perform live — and does Oasis skipping the night change how you feel about it? Tell us in the comments.
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