We're just hours away from the start of Bruce Springsteen's 2026 Land of Hope and Dreams Tour with the E Street Band (and Tom Morello), and speculation about the setlist and what songs The Boss will play is at an all-time high.
It's been over half a year since Springsteen and the E Street Band concluded their 2025 Land of Hope and Dreams Tour in Milan, Italy, on July 3. Since then, Springsteen has made some sporadic appearances, but nothing close to his usual three-hour performances.
So, it's fair to wonder how much the setlist will actually change. Of course, Springsteen's hits like “Born to Run” and “Dancing in the Dark” can be expected, but will he shake it up, given the seeming shift in focus of the tour? Its slogan, “No Kings,” appears to be a shot at President Donald Trump, and The Boss' announcement indicates he has something to say.
“We are living through dark, disturbing, and dangerous times, but do not despair — the cavalry is coming,” Springsteen said with a chuckle. “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be taking the stage this spring from Minneapolis to California to Texas to Washington, D.C., for the Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour.
“We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America, American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution, and our sacred American Dream. All of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington, D.C. Everyone, regardless of where you stand or what you believe in, is welcome,” The Boss continued.
So, here are 34 songs Springsteen should play. Will he play all of them? Not necessarily, but he's known for shaking up his setlists night-to-night, so perhaps he will sprinkle in some deep cuts.
34 songs that should be in Bruce Springsteen's setlist on his 2026 tour
Below is a list of 34 songs Springsteen should play on his 2026 Land of Hope and Dreams Tour. Note: they are in alphabetical, not preference order.
- “Adam Raised a Cain”
- “Atlantic City”
- “Badlands”
- “Because the Night”
- “Blinded By the Light”
- “Born in the U.S.A.”
- “Born to Run”
- “Chimes of Freedom” (Bob Dylan cover)
- “Dancing in the Dark”
- “Death to My Hometown”
- “Devils & Dust”
- “Follow That Dream”
- “Ghosts”
- “Glory Days”
- “Hungry Heart”
- “Into the Fire”
- “Johnny 99”
- “Land of Hope and Dreams”
- “Letter to You”
- “Lonesome Day”
- “Long Walk Home”
- “My Hometown”
- “Nebraska”
- “No Surrender”
- “Prove It All Night”
- “Rainmaker”
- “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
- “Streets of Minneapolis”
- “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
- “The Promised Land”
- “The Rising”
- “Thunder Road”
- “Tougher Than the Rest”
- “Wrecking Ball”
The obvious choices
Getting the obvious out of the way, Springsteen still has casual and new fans to appease. While the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour is sure to get topical, The Boss will still integrate hits like “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road” in his setlist.
It's also a foregone conclusion that he will perform “Land of Hope and Dreams.” He performed it 19 times in 2025 during his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour. Given the fact that his 2026 tour is also called the Land of Hope and Dreams [American] Tour, expect the hit rock-gospel song to make it every night.
He will also likely perform “Streets of Minneapolis,” which was just released on Jan. 28, 2026. Springsteen wrote the protest song in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti.
His 2026 tour will begin with a show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Target Center. Expect it to be an extremely emotional show, and his latest protest song will likely make it to every show.
Other safe assumptions are “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Hungry Heart,” and “No Surrender.” Some other protest rockers like “The Promised Land” and “Badlands” are sure to make the cut.
Some deeper cuts
While his setlist will feature a lot of familiar songs, there are some lesser-known tracks that could make their way into the setlist. “Into the Fire” from The Rising would be another emotional song perfect for the middle of the show. “Tougher Than the Rest” could gain new meaning given the context of the tour.
It might be a reach to hope Springsteen plays some of his older songs, like “Blinded by the Light” and “Adam Raised a Cain,” every night, but they'd both be welcomed additions to the set.
Last year was a big one for Springsteen. His biopic about the making of Nebraska, Deliver Me from Nowhere, was released in October, and he subsequently released Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition.
Included in the box set were some of the songs from the long-fabled Electric Nebraska sessions. While “Born in the U.S.A.” is rarely played in the United States (potentially due to listeners' misunderstanding of the song), could The Boss break out the Electric Nebraska arrangement of it? The hard rock version in the box set makes the song's actual meaning a lot clearer, and it'd be a great alternative to the vocally-stressing original arrangement.
There is also room for some other songs, such as “Devils & Dust” or “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” which are both haunting, to emerge. The addition of Tom Morello to the lineup for “selected songs” makes the latter (and potentially “American Skin (41 Shots)”) especially likely to be played.
If Springsteen really wanted to break out deep cuts, how about “Follow That Dream,” which recently came out as part of his Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set?
How will he end concerts?
Usually, Springsteen ends his concerts with a solo acoustic performance. For most of his 2023-24 tour, Springsteen ended shows with “I'll See You in My Dreams,” an emotional tribute to lost friends from Letter to You.
It's a poignant song, and it'd still make sense in the same context as songs like “Streets of Minneapolis.” However, during his 2025 tour, Springsteen closed shows with a cover of Bob Dylan's “Chimes of Freedom.” He used to perform it in the '80s, and it would make sense to carry that into the 2026 tour.
Or maybe he will do some Woody Guthrie covers. Springsteen did a whole album of them, and something like “We Shall Overcome” would be an extremely unifying anthem to end on.
When does Springsteen's 2026 tour begin?
Springsteen's 2026 tour will begin on Mar. 31, 2026, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This starts a 20-show run in the United States in 2026.
Stops on the tour include a show in his home state of New Jersey, playing the Prudential Center on Apr. 20. He will also play in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Brooklyn, New York; and New York City.
The politically-charged tour will conclude on May 27 in Washington, D.C., with a show at Nationals Park. It is fitting that the tour will conclude in the nation's capital.
