The Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi 'taking a temporary break' from touring

2026 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 1 - Day 2 Nick Valensi of The Strokes performs during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2026 in Indio, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella) (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)

By Josh Johnson

May 15, 2026 at 10:30 am EDT

The Strokes will be without guitarist Nick Valensi onstage for the time being.

The "Last Nite" outfit has announced in an Instagram Story that Valensi is "taking a temporary break from the scheduled tour."

"But we look forward to his return," the post adds.

Stepping in for Valensi will be guitarist Steve Schiltz, who previously played with The Strokes for a couple shows earlier in the year and joined them for their performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday.

The Colbert appearance featured a rendition of the song "Falling Out of Love," a track off the upcoming Strokes album, Reality Awaits, due out June 26.

The Strokes' upcoming live schedule resumes in June with their set at Bonnaroo, followed by a run of U.S. headlining dates.