Nine Inch Nails Launches 2026 Tour with New Bassist and Electrifying Collaborations

Nine Inch Nails started the second North American leg of their Peel It Back Tour on Feb. 5 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Stu Brooks made his debut. The band ripped through a 21-song set that included rare tracks and a collaboration with tour opener Boys Noize.

Brooks stepped in after Alessandro Cortini left the band in late 2025. Cortini was with the group since 2005, but no one explained why he departed. "I'm feeling excited! It's such a huge honor to play with these musicians and have this opportunity," Brooks said, according to Bass Magazine.

The Brooklyn-based musician has worked with The Saturday Night Live Band, Lady Gaga, and Mike Patton. He co-founded Dub Trio. His credits span artists like Danny Elfman, Dominic Fike, Perry Farrell, and 50 Cent.

Trent Reznor formed Nine Inch Nails in 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio. The band's first album was Pretty Hate Machine, which included "Head Like a Hole."  Their 1994 album, The Downward Spiral, made them popular in the rock scene. They still influence musicians today. The current lineup includes Reznor, Brooks, Atticus Ross, Robin Finck, and Josh Freese. 

The New Orleans show opened on a smaller B-stage with Reznor performing "Something I Can Never Have" solo. He hadn't played the song on tour before. Then, the band launched into "Non-Entity" for the first time since 2009. The track was an outtake from the 2005 album, With Teeth, and was performed at an MTV benefit concert following Hurricane Katrina.

The performance featured two stages and four acts, giving fans a sprawling experience that shifted between intimate moments and explosive energy. Boys Noize joined the band for a segment called Nine Inch Noize, playing remixed versions of "Vessel," "Closer," and "As Alive as You Need Me to Be." The final track won a GRAMMY for Best Rock Song in 2026 from the Tron: Ares soundtrack, according to The Nu Metal Agenda.

The tour will run through March 16 in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center. Shows are scheduled in Washington D.C., Boston, Columbus, St. Louis, Austin, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Two sets at Coachella in April under the name Nine Inch Noize will follow. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.