Sep 24, 2026
·Olivia Petty
Welcome to SeatGeek Front Row, where music writers share their tips for attending the biggest concert tours around the country. For this edition, Seattle resident Olivia Petty breaks down what it’s really like to see Journey's "Final Frontier" tour in person, sharing everything from the setlist to the merch situation. Olivia is a freelance features and music writer in the greater Seattle area.
The wheel in the sky keeps on turning — and, apparently, so do the wheels on Journey’s tour bus. It’s been more than 40 years since Journey released some of its biggest hits, but the band continues to make its way around the world for its “Final Frontier” tour.
Billed as its official farewell to audiences, Journey recently extended the tour well beyond its original run, with dates now stretching into November, and on September 21, the band brought that victory lap to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. They seldom showed their age as they performed a nearly 3-hour-long set with verve, taking the audience back in time from deep cuts to classic power ballads, including some of the biggest songs in arena-rock history. Throughout the night, they made one thing clear: even if this is technically a goodbye tour, Journey’s catalog still has plenty of mileage left in it.
Here’s everything fans should know about seeing Journey on the “Final Frontier” tour, from its Seattle setlist and show length to the stage setup, start time, seating options, merchandise and everything in between.
What a Journey “Final Frontier” concert is actually like
Journey is no stranger to the phenomenon of a sold-out arena. Though it’s been years since all of the band’s original founding members performed together, Journey remains one of the largest acts in rock, with 15 studio albums and over 170 songs to its name.
Guitarist and founder Neal Schon has held it down since the beginning, having played on every Journey album and tour to date. Alongside him is keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Cain, who’s been with the band since 1980 and helped write hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Faithfully.” In the absence of founding frontman Steve Perry, who made his permanent departure from the band in 1998, vocals have become a shared responsibility among the rotating cast of members. The current lineup includes Arnel Pineda on primary vocals, who has been with the band for 19 years, Deen Castronovo on drums and vocals, clocking in at nearly two decades with the band across two stints, and Jason Derlatka on a secondary keyboard and vocals, Journey’s youngest and newest addition.
However, fans flooding into Climate Pledge Arena on Monday, September 21 didn’t seem to care much about continuity; they were all just happy to be there, sporting all fashions and eras of Journey merch from the 1980s all the way to the 2020s.
What time did the Journey show in Seattle start? How long was it?
Doors to the venue opened at 6 p.m., and — though Journey had no opener — the band didn’t come onstage until 7:45 p.m. The show was slated to start at 7:30, but audiences could keep track of the time via the giant countdown clock that flashed across the screen above the stage. The show concluded just shy of 10:20 p.m. (no encore) for a total of 29 songs in 2 hours and 35 minutes.
What songs did Journey perform in Seattle? What was the setlist?
With the “Final Frontier” tour being a celebration of decades of Journey’s music, the setlist was appropriately structured in a semi-chronological and educational way. Less recognizable songs were introduced by varying members of the band, who would provide anecdotes to take audiences back in time. The deep cuts were interspersed with, of course, the world-renowned hits and anthems that define Journey’s legacy.
The setlist leaned heavily into Journey’s commercial peak in the early-to-mid 80s, with albums Escape and Frontiers serving as the backbone of the night. Songs like “Stone in Love,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” showcased how the band’s age-old hits are as catchy as ever, while songs like “Chain Reaction” and “Never Walk Away” incorporated material from their later chapters. They even found their way back to some of the original progressive-rock and jazz-fusion material from their earliest days, but never strayed too far from the hits that fans came to hear. In a softer moment of the night, Jonathan Cain dedicated the song “Faithfully” to anyone past or present who had served in the U.S. armed forces, prompting fans to lift their phone flashlights in support.
Here’s the full setlist, in order, including several long solos:
Be Good to Yourself
Stone in Love
Ask the Lonely
Only the Young
Just the Same Way (Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
Lights (Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
Send Her My Love
Of a Lifetime (Jason Derlatka on lead vocals)
La Do Da (Wove in a snippet of "How Many More Times" by Led Zeppelin)
Drum Solo
Escape
Girl Can't Help It (Jason Derlatka on lead vocals)
Precious Time (Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
Chain Reaction
Dead or Alive
Anytime (Jonathan Cain & Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
Piano Solo
Who's Crying Now
Open Arms
Never Walk Away
Keep On Runnin' (Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
Suzanne (Jason Derlatka on lead vocals)
Guitar Solo
Wheel in the Sky
Faithfully
Don't Stop Believin'
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Any Way You Want It
What did the stage and production look like?
The stage was a multi-tiered setup with Deen Castronovo’s extra-large drumset positioned in the back on the highest tier above the grand piano, keyboards, synths and guitar rigs that were scattered across the rest of the stage. Three large screens stretched across the back, projecting live feeds of respective band members overlaid with thematic animations based on each song.
Above it all, a huge array of strobes and spotlights radiated out in a starburst pattern, flashing hundreds of lights both onto the stage and onto the audience. The visuals leaned into the melodrama that is native to arena rock, cycling through animations including badlands-esque landscapes, cathedral hallways, raindrops, rose petals and other suitably cinematic imagery. The show closed with confetti cannons and a flurry of streamers, adding a final dose of spectacle to the grand night.
What were fans wearing? What’s the merch situation?
Fans generally were dressed in comfortable, casual clothes, but by and large in Journey merch. Some of that merch came from older tours or was custom-made by particular fanatics, but plenty of it was available for purchase at a couple different merch booths throughout the arena. The main merch table, located on the ground floor, offered a huge variety of options for fans.
There were nine different styles of t-shirt ($50), two styles of hoodie ($110-$120), hats ($40), tote bags ($20), beer koozies ($5), posters and more.
The line for merch wasn’t too long immediately after doors to the venue opened, and it wasn’t too long after the show ended — about a 10-minute wait at most.
Is the show family-friendly?
Journey’s “Final Frontier” tour is very family friendly, and plenty of families with young children were in attendance, though it may be good to bring along earbuds or noise-canceling headphones for sensitive ears. Their show had an earlier start and end time than many concerts at Climate Pledge Arena, making it easier for those with earlier bedtimes.
What attending a Journey concert at Climate Pledge Arena was like
Doors at Climate Pledge Arena opened at 6 p.m., which is earlier than usual for many concerts. Fans didn’t need to worry about showing up too early, as there would be at least an hour and a half of wait time between the doors opening and the show starting. There are a variety of ways to get into the arena, with 11 separate entrances, though not all of them were available to enter through.
The main entrance was the Alaska Airlines Entrance 1, located near the accessible and press entrances. Each door had separate lines for people with bags or without. All attendees were required to go through metal detectors and abide by Climate Pledge’s strict bag policy, which allows one clear or non-clear bag up to 14″ x 14″ x 6″ OR one small clutch, purse or wallet up to 4″ x 6″ x 1.5″. Those who chose to bring bags had to wait in longer lines and go through X-ray screening.
At Entrance 1, security was a well-oiled machine and took less than 5 minutes to get through right after 6 p.m. Once inside, event staff were available to point fans to the right floor and section. Some sections required you to scan your ticket multiple times or required entry through exclusive club sections. Plenty of food vendors were scattered throughout the arena, from pretzel carts to woodfired pizza and full bars.
What was seating at Climate Pledge Arena like?
At Climate Pledge Arena, sometimes there is a General Admission “pit” with standing room on the floor of the arena, with some reserved folding seats set up in the back half. For Journey, there was no General Admission and no designated standing room. Floor seats and sections 20, 21, 220 and 221 have the most straight-on view of the stage; all other sections are at a slight angle. Most photos of the stage in this article, unless otherwise specified, were taken from Section 26 in row AA, the first row back from the floor (courtside). The view was unobstructed, but did require a bit of neck craning as the seats did not directly face the stage.
The sections with the most obstructed view of the stage are 3, 12, 102, 202, 113 and 213 — however, on the lower levels, they’ll put you nice and close to the stage itself. For Journey, there were three large screens projecting close-ups of the band, so fans in the upper levels could see what was going on.
(View from Section 26, back row)
How should I get to Climate Pledge Arena?
Climate Pledge Arena is located on the Seattle Center Campus near the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center. For public transit, the Link light rail stops at Westlake Station where you can transfer directly to the Seattle Center Monorail for a direct (and scenic) ride to Seattle Center. The Monorail runs for at least 60 minutes after events end. There are plenty of King County Metro bus routes as well, including 1, 2, 8, 13, 32 and the RapidRide D Line, that stop near the west side of Seattle Center and the arena.
If you need to drive and park, there are three primary garages on the campus, including the underground Climate Pledge Arena Garage (accessed via underground entry), the 1st Ave N Garage and the 5th Ave Garage. However, parking close to the venue can be expensive and result in traffic jams.
How can I get tickets for an upcoming Journey concert on SeatGeek?
Start by heading over to Journey's artist page on SeatGeek and put in your location to see if there are any upcoming shows near you. Once you’ve found a show date, pick how many tickets you’re looking to buy and choose a seat using the interactive venue map. Once you’re happy with your choices, hit “checkout.” Rest assured, you will “hold onto that feeling” of seeing Journey on its farewell tour for years to come.
📁 Categories: Front Row, Concerts
🏷️ Tags: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Journey, Final Frontier tour