Hayley Williams is drawing a strong line ahead of her 2026 solo tour. The Paramore frontwoman, who recently announced an expanded series of dates due to high demand, said she intended to make her shows explicitly inclusive spaces — and made clear that anyone who holds discriminatory views should not expect to feel comfortable attending.
In a new interview with ConflictWilliams said she wanted the tour to be a place where every fan could “feel welcome to the party”, but said this commitment also required her to take a public stance about who she did not want in the room.
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“I don’t want racists around, and I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people who think trans people are a burden,” she said. “I think it’s a hard line for me now.”
Williams explained that she hopes anyone who holds those beliefs will “walk in the door and realize that the gang is here, all united for something positive,” adding: “If you believe that everyone should be welcome then everyone is welcome… If you don’t believe that, you’re not welcome.”
Her upcoming tour – which supports her latest solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – the North American leg will kick off in Atlanta on March 28 and include stops in Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Nashville, Austin, Oakland, Los Angeles and more, before it hits the UK and Europe in June next year.
Williams has long used her platform to advocate for equality, particularly in her home state of Tennessee. Last year, after declining an official state honor, he criticized the actions of the state’s Republican leadership, which he described as “blatant racism,” and encouraged young people to vote with equality in mind.
The singer has also spoken openly about the gender discrimination she has faced throughout her career. In 2022, he said he avoided playing guitar on stage due to the possibility of derisive comments, and in 2023 he addressed online backlash after postponing a Paramore show due to illness, calling out “Internet bros” and clarifying that most rock bands would not co-sign that behavior.
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