TWISTED SISTER Cancels All 2026 Reunion Dates Due To DEE SNIDER's Health

Twisted Sister have canceled all of their previously announced 2026 reunion concerts, shelving plans for what was billed as a 50^th anniversary celebration after lead singer Dee Snider stepped away due to serious health challenges.

The veteran shock-rock outfit confirmed the news earlier today, with guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda issuing a statement on behalf of French Management Enterprises via the band's website and social media channels.

"With regrets, Twisted Sister cancels 50^th anniversary celebration performance," the statement reads. "Due to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Twisted Sister's lead singer Dee Snider brought on by a series of health challenges, the band has been forced to cancel all shows scheduled, beginning April 25^th in Sao Paulo Brazil and continuing through the summer."

They added: "The future of Twisted Sister will be determined in the next several weeks. Stay tuned for updates."

Behind the abrupt decision lies a sobering reality for one of heavy metal's most indefatigable frontmen. A lifetime of legendarily aggressive performances has taken a severe toll on Snider's body. Unbeknownst to fans until now, the 70-year-old singer has been dealing with degenerative arthritis for years and has undergone multiple surgeries simply to remain stage-capable — often able to perform only a few songs at a time, and in pain.

More recently, Snider learned that decades of pushing himself to the limit have also impacted his heart, forcing a reckoning with the physical demands of Twisted Sister's famously explosive live shows.

In a separate statement, Snider made it clear that compromise isn't an option. "I don't know of any other way to rock," he said. "The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I'd rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self."

The now-canceled 2026 dates were set to feature Twisted Sister's three core members — Snider, French, and Ojeda — marking one of the band's most significant reunions since their farewell run in 2016. Bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza was not slated to participate, with Russell Pzütto, a longtime collaborator from Snider's solo band, lined up to fill in on bass.

On drums, Joe Franco — who briefly played with Twisted Sister in the mid-1980s — was scheduled to step in for the late A.J. Pero, the beloved drummer who died in 2015 at the age of 55. For now, the future of Twisted Sister remains uncertain.