Gilmour says “nothing” could make him reunite with Waters as rift between pair deepens

David Gilmour has insisted there is “no possible way” he would ever reunite with his former Pink Floyd bandmate Roger Waters, drawing a definitive line under one of the most bitter feuds in rock history.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the 79-year-old guitarist was asked what it would take for him to share a stage again with Waters. His answer was unequivocal.

“Nothing,” Gilmour said. “There is no possible way that I would do that.”

The comments mark the clearest indication yet that any prospect of reconciliation between the estranged musicians — who once formed the creative core of one of the most influential bands in British rock — is permanently over.

Gilmour and Waters have been at odds since the latter left Pink Floyd in 1985, amid disputes over the band’s direction and control of its name. Although both achieved success in their respective solo careers, their relationship has since deteriorated into open hostility.

In 2024, the two sold their music rights and name-and-likeness rights to Sony Music in a deal worth more than half a billion dollars — one of the most lucrative transactions in the history of recorded music. Gilmour said at the time that the sale was motivated by a desire to end years of wrangling over the band’s legacy.

“It was about being rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going,” he explained. “It was less about a financial standpoint and more about getting out of the mud bath that it has been for quite a while.”

Despite the sale drawing a financial line under the band’s affairs, the personal feud between the pair has continued.

Gilmour previously accused Waters of supporting “genocidal and autocratic dictators like Putin”, while his wife, Polly Samson — a novelist and lyricist who co-wrote lyrics for later Pink Floyd albums — described Waters in 2023 as “antisemitic to his rotten core”.

Waters, now 82, dismissed the accusations as “incendiary and wildly inaccurate”, insisting he “refutes [them] entirely”.

In his latest interview, Gilmour was joined by Samson, who said she spoke out publicly to avoid confusion about which Pink Floyd member she was married to, after years of awkward encounters.

“If they knew you’re married to someone from Pink Floyd, half the time people were giving me quite strange looks,” Samson said. “It was really uncomfortable and I just wanted to draw a line and make it clear that these were not views held by me or the person I was married to.”

Pink Floyd’s internal divisions have long fascinated fans. The band’s pioneering albums — including The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975) and The Wall (1979) — are considered cornerstones of modern rock. Yet since Waters’ departure, relations between him and the remaining members have remained fraught.

The band briefly reunited in 2005 for the Live 8 charity concert in London, their first performance together in 24 years. Despite fans’ hopes, that appearance proved a one-off.

In the years since, the pair’s public sparring has extended to disputes over songwriting credits, touring rights, and even the messaging around Pink Floyd’s online presence. Waters has accused Gilmour of “trying to airbrush him out” of the band’s history, while Gilmour has countered that Waters’ political commentary has alienated fans.

The guitarist’s latest remarks suggest the animosity remains entrenched. Industry insiders say it closes the door on any future collaboration — even as fans continue to call for a farewell reunion.

Pink Floyd’s catalogue, now under Sony’s management, continues to generate millions in global sales each year. The band’s iconic album artwork — designed by Hipgnosis and including the prism of The Dark Side of the Moon and the handshake motif of Wish You Were Here — was also included in the 2024 rights deal.

Although the band’s legacy remains secure, Gilmour’s stance makes clear that the creative relationship that fuelled Pink Floyd’s greatest works has ended for good.

As one industry observer put it: “Pink Floyd may have built a bridge between art and rock, but between Gilmour and Waters, that bridge has long since burned.”