'Weird Al' plans 2025 Rio Rancho stop

Things will get "weird" in Rio Rancho next year.

That's because "Weird Al" Yankovic, the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history, is bringing his full-production multimedia comedy rocks how Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour to the Rio Rancho Events Center Sept. 5, 2025.

After two world tours in smaller venues with scaled-down, intimate shows featuring his original songs, Weird Al now returns to the big stage for the first time in six years, playing his iconic hits as well as some fan favorites which have never been performed live. With his giant video wall, multiple costume changes, and an amazing eight-piece ensemble featuring Al’s original band, Weird Al ups the ante on his already legendary show with a new super-sized concert experience.

“This is kind of a ‘best of both worlds’ tour,” said Yankovic. “We’ll be doing all the big crowd-pleasing parodies as well as some deep cuts for the hardcore fans — but with twice as many players on stage, everything is going to sound twice as good.”

The tour will be supported by special guest Puddles Pity Party, the 7-foot sad clown whose golden voice is “comparable to any Grammy winner” (Los Angeles Times) and has performed sold out shows around the globe including San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, London’s Soho Theatre and a residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Yankovic is best known for his parodies of top hits by the most popular artists of the last four decades, including Madonna, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, Usher, Nirvana, Eminem, Queen, Lady Gaga and many more. His numerous hits include “Amish Paradise,” “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Word Crimes,” and the platinum-selling “White & Nerdy.” He has received five Grammy awards and 17 career nominations, and is one of only three artists to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the previous four consecutive decades. His last album, Mandatory Fun, is the only comedy album in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.

Earlier this year, in celebration of Mandatory Fun’s 10th anniversary, Yankovic released his new single and video “Polkamania!” a medley of some of the biggest and most memorable songs of the last decade by artists like Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Adele and Taylor Swift.

Also an accomplished actor, writer, director and producer, Yankovic was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018, and an Emmy Award for the 2022 release "WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story," starring Daniel Radcliffe as Yankovic.

Tour dates and tickets for all shows are available weirdal.com/tour, with public sales beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27.