KISS' Paul Stanley opens up about how the band will live on

Iconic Rock band KISS may have said goodbye to touring, but that’s not keeping them from finding new ways to rock on in the future.

LISTEN NOW : KISS' Paul Stanley opens up about how the band will live on

The legendary group said farewell to touring in 2023 with back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden for the finish of their End of the Road tour, but co-founder, Paul Stanley  , says the conclusion of that chapter is the beginning of a new one for the group.

That new chapter officially began In April 2024 when Swedish music investment firm, Pophouse, acquired the band’s music catalog, brand name, and intellectual property. With that acquisition, the company also agreed KISS members will remain active and play a key role in projects using the acquired elements. According to Stanley, Pophouse and the band are committed to working together to ensure the band will live on in new and exciting ways.

“The Pophouse deal is revolutionary and it’s also really in keeping with the band,” Stanley shared of the deal while appearing on Billboard ’s Behind the Setlist podcast. “The idea of us selling publishing or anything like that was never on our radar. What we wanted to do, if anything, was find some partner who understood the scope and the magnitude of not only the music over the decades, but the characters, the personas we created and that they have intrinsic value... Pophouse understood what we wanted to do and that what we want to create is something that’s state of the art today.”

Pophouse has set the bar high with their involvement of ABBA Voyage , a concert residency by the Swedish pop group which features ABBA as virtual avatars generated around their 1979 — but even then, the Rock Hall of Famer, Stanley, says what they currently are dreaming up for KISS is even bigger.

Keeping exact plans vague, what Stanley did share is it’ll be more than just a live show experience. “The idea of a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Quite frankly, I would find that boring,” he boldly stated. “I really can’t tell you the ultimate technology that we will be using, but, we’re sitting down in the very near future just to start to fine tune the show and the presentation.”

He continued, “What we’re creating is an immersive experience that KISS fans will love and people who have never been exposed to KISS or might not like certain aspects of that band will have to see. It’s a must-see, go-to experience.”

While we may not know exactly what to expect, we do know the (seemingly major) new experience is slated to debut in Las Vegas during 2027. Where exactly in Vegas it’ll take place? Sounds like that’s a work in progress as well.

“What I can tell you is that the technology that’s being used… has to be installed. Basically, a building has to be built around it,” he shared. “This isn’t something where you’re in Kansas City today and tomorrow you fly with your projector [the next day]. It demands an arena, so to speak, that’s really, solely used to for a show like this.”

Hear additional details surrounding the Pophouse deal, future plans, his painting career, non-profit work and so much more by checking out his full conversation on Billboard ’s Behind the Setlist podcast above.