Zak Starkey has rejoined The Who.
The sixty-year-old drummer has been in a state of flux with the band, being dismissed last year, then welcomed back only to be let go again, and now there are signs he is once more part of the group after frontman Sir Roger Daltrey hinted at rehearsals taking place.
Reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicate that Daltrey told fans at his solo show at Las Vegas’ Encore Theater on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, that there had been a recent rehearsal to explore the possibility of playing some European dates. He remarked that Starkey had been behind the kit and that the session sounded excellent.
Later, Zak shared a screenshot of the outlet’s report on Instagram, writing: “Nice one Rog x. Lookin forward to tearin it up with The Who again… The rehearsal was great.” He added that the session had been tougher than any previous get-together, joking that “usually we sip tea and talk about what time we’re going home,” while praising Roger’s vocal performance on his own track, “Certified Rose.” (sic) The drummer also admitted it felt “good to be home.”
In a statement emailed to Rolling Stone, Starkey said: “We put in a solid afternoon of rehearsal and came away buzzing. I’m thrilled to be back playing the music I love with people I love. It’s good to be home.”
The update comes roughly a year after Starkey, who has been part of The Who since 1996, admitted he was perplexed by the band’s situation.
Speaking with The Independent, he confessed: “I don’t know what the hell is going on. This is The Who, man—the most unpredictable, forceful, and headstrong group, yet also a family of incredibly kind people. You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s what makes it The Who. They seem to thrive on friction.”
He went on to explain that if you look back through The Who’s history, you’ll find four people who are completely opposite in temperament. One individual writes nearly everything and regards the other three as if they were part of an art installation. They may not even grasp what that means, yet they stand as the craziest, most unusual ensemble ever assembled.
“And that’s precisely what’s wonderful about them—how they persist in doing things that defy conventional norms.”
Prior to his long association with The Who, Starkey drummed for Oasis from 2004 to 2008 and said there were discussions about him joining their reunion tour, though he ultimately could not commit to the project. He explained: “We talked about it with Noel, but I was tied up with The Who.”
The Oasis period remains a high point for the son of Beatles legend Sir Ringo Starr, who has spoken fondly about his time with the band. He recalled it as exhilarating and incredibly entertaining—a landmark era in rock and roll, with Oasis feeling like the most dynamic live act of the time, almost like a blazing comet barreling toward the audience.
