Hayley Williams Says Racist and Anti-Trans Fans Aren’t Welcome on Her Tour
"I think that's a hard line for me now," the Paramore frontwoman said.
Hayley Williams is drawing a firm boundary ahead of her 2026 solo tour. The Paramore frontwoman, who recently announced an expanded run of dates due to high demand, said she intends her shows to be explicitly inclusive spaces — and made clear that anyone who holds discriminatory views should not expect to feel comfortable attending.
In a new interview with Clash, Williams said she wants the tour to be a place where every fan can “feel welcome to the party,” but added that this commitment also requires her to take a public stance about who she does not want in the room.
“I don’t want racists around, and I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people there who think that trans people are a burden,” she said. “I think that’s a hard line for me now.”
Williams explained that she hopes anyone holding those beliefs will “walk in the door and realise that the gang’s all here, all banded together around something positive,” adding: “All are welcome if you believe all should be 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 kicks off on March 28 in Atlanta and willl include stops in Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Nashville, Austin, Oakland, Los Angeles, and more, before she 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, she criticised the actions of the state’s Republican leadership, calling out what she described as “blatant racism” and encouraging young people to vote with equality in mind.
The singer has also spoken openly about the sexism she has faced throughout her career. In 2022, she said she avoided playing guitar on stage because of the likelihood of derisive comments, and in 2023 she addressed online backlash after postponing Paramore shows due to illness, calling out “internet bros” and clarifying that most rock bands would not co-sign that behaviour.
