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Rod Stewart, 81, will end his touring career with The Final Encore in 2027, wrapping in Hanover, Germany, after recent health issues including heart surgery.
Rod Stewart has announced that his next tour will be his last. The 81-year-old singer will wrap up a touring career stretching back to his mid-teens in the early 1960s with Rod Stewart: The Final Encore, a tour of the UK and Europe beginning in April 2027.
The announcement was made on Monday 28 September 2026. The arena run includes UK dates in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London. The tour also includes European cities such as Berlin and Prague before finishing in Hanover, Germany, in July 2027. The current article states the tour will run from April until June 2027 and conclude in Hannover, Germany on July 24, 2027.
Promising one hell of a show, Stewart said: My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last. He continued: I have been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I have had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you.
Stewart added: It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I have given you some fond memories in return. So, may I take this opportunity to thank you for making this extraordinary life possible. I hope you will join me so I can thank you the best way I know how with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.
Health Struggles Force Tour Cancellations
While he has not ruled out one-off gigs in the future, the touring element of his career is coming to an end. Stewart still has a couple of live dates currently scheduled after the end of the tour, at Red Rocks, Colorado, in September 2027. Those dates were rescheduled from June this year due to inflamed vocal cords. The June dates were part of One Last Time, his farewell tour of the US.
He later paused a concert in Utah to use an oxygen mask after nearly fainting during the performance, then cancelled the remainder of the tour after undergoing a heart procedure. Stewart has faced recent health issues that led to the cancellation of several shows. He was on his One Last Time tour since March but pulled out of concerts in June after suffering from an acute upper respiratory infection, laryngitis and vocal strain.
He then cancelled more shows after undergoing heart surgery last month to allow himself time to recover. A spokesperson said in a statement: Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Stewart is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities. On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.
The hitmaker was said to have been feeling better and very much on the mend, and he apologised to fans for cancelling his tour. Earlier on the One Last Time tour, in 2025, he had to cancel concerts due to flu, Covid and strep throat, and for needing vocal rest. It looked like his Glastonbury legends slot performance was at risk of cancellation due to flu, but he went through with the gig.
A Guardian review described him as being in good voice, especially given he cancelled gigs. The review added: It helps that he has never had a clear or stereotypically youthful voice to begin with; the years show, mostly, in his struggle to sustain long notes. It also heralded him as a physical performer, writhing and launching around like one of the leggier Muppets. Stewart has been touring since his teens.
After a duo with folk singer Wizz Jones, he spent time shuttling between groups such as Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions, Steampacket and Shotgun Express before joining the Jeff Beck Group, and then Faces. In that early duo, he set out across Europe with a harmonica and ended up getting deported from Spain for vagrancy. His solo career began in earnest at the close of the 1960s, and Stewart became a huge commercial success.
Stewart Maintains Strong Recording Legacy
After 1971s chart-topping Every Picture Tells a Story, all but one of his 29 studio albums since have reached the UK Top 10. The most recent, 2024s Swing Fever, a collaboration with Jools Holland, reached No 1. Though Stewart may be retiring from touring, he could well release more studio projects.
He told Desert Island Discs that he and former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood had songs that we are working on from back in the day, but it is hard to make our times tally. When we do get a chance to get in the studio again, we will finish off these songs. We have got a good body of songs going. Stewart is known for hits like Maggie May and Da Ya Think I am Sexy.
With his distinctive raspy voice, he has delivered numerous hits and remains a beloved figure in rock and pop music. The Final Encore tour will give fans a final chance to see him perform live. Stewart remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His decision to retire from touring comes after a period of reflection and health considerations, but he has expressed gratitude for the support he has received throughout his career.
As he embarks on this final journey, his legacy as a performer and recording artist is secure, and his farewell tour promises to be a memorable celebration of his music.
7NewsSydney
GuardianAus:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Rod Stewart Final Tour The Final Encore Health One Last Time Tour Hannover Farewell Tour 2027 Tour Dates Health Issues
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