chester bennington would have turned 50 on March 20 (ET), a milestone prompting fans and musicians to mark his influence across two active projects. Linkin Park is on the road with a new singer as the surviving members continue the From Zero World Tour, and Grey Daze—the early band that featured chester bennington—has released a new EP and returned to the UK. Both movements frame a day of remembrance and forward motion for audiences and collaborators.
Immediate reactions from Grey Daze
Cris Hodges, frontman of Grey Daze, said the band has prepared deliberately for the current run: “Busy. We’ve been preparing for this for about a year? So, I would say we’re pretty prepared. Not under-prepared, not over-prepared, we’re right on pace. ” Hodges emphasized the timing of the new EP release ahead of touring, adding that the project needed careful stewardship: “We wanted to make sure that we had the EP released before we went out [on tour], and just have people get used to it. “
Kenny Bulka, guitarist of Grey Daze, described the recording process for the forthcoming full-length as nearly complete: “I mean, it’s close. We have some buttoning up to do on a couple of them, and then we might add a couple more. ” The band has already followed a 2024 #ForYouChester tour with a UK headline run that returns on March 20 (ET), and Hodges said the full-length album work will continue after the current dates.
Chester Bennington’s legacy and Linkin Park’s new chapter
chester bennington rose from the Phoenix, Arizona scene and achieved global fame with the 2000 debut Hybrid Theory, delivering anthems such as In the End, Numb and What I’ve Done that defined a generation. His death on July 20, 2017, by suicide at age 41 left a lasting gap in rock music and prompted an extended hiatus from the surviving members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Rob Bourdon and Joe Hahn.
In recent years the surviving members announced a reunion with Emily Armstrong as a new co-vocalist and Colin Brittain as a new drummer, and Armstrong officially debuted with the band on September 11, 2024 (ET). The From Zero World Tour, led by the revitalized lineup, continued into 2025 and is scheduled to extend into 2026 with confirmed European stops listed for May 29, 2026 in Stockholm (ET) and June 1, 2026 in Hamburg (ET), and noted August 2025 shows in Pittsburgh (ET). Those developments have prompted reflection on chester bennington’s unfinished legacy even as the band seeks to honor his spirit while moving forward.
What’s next
Cris Hodges signaled that Grey Daze plans to finalize and release a full-length album after returning from the current European and UK dates, aiming for a record of roughly 10–12 songs. Linkin Park’s From Zero World Tour will continue into 2026 with additional European dates and festival appearances expected to follow the May and June stops already outlined (ET).
For fans marking the anniversary on March 20 (ET), the immediate horizon is twofold: new Grey Daze material and live dates led by Hodges and Bulka, and Linkin Park’s ongoing tour with Emily Armstrong that keeps chester bennington’s catalog in public performance. Expect further album news from Grey Daze after the tour and additional tour routing updates from Linkin Park as the From Zero schedule advances, all shaping how chester bennington’s influence is remembered and reinterpreted in the months ahead.
