Rod Stewart has been on the road for more than 60 years and now, at 81, it’s finally time to say goodbye to the road. The “Forever Young” singer announced plans to retire from mounting major tours in the future, while stressing that he’s not going away entirely.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce that next year will be my last tour ever, ever,” Stewart said in an Instagram video posted early Monday morning (Sept. 28). “I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock n’ roll tour. So I want to thank you for everything you’ve given me and hopefully I’ve given you something in return.”
Dressed in white pants and matching shirt and a gold brocade jacket, Stewart then leaned over to a piano and began pounding on one of the keys as he shout sang, “So please come out and see me on the tour! It’s gonna be great!” The caveat that it was his last “rock” tour might leave some wiggle room for Stewart to hit the road in the future to perform songs from his series of early 2000s American songbook albums of standards.
In a statement, Stewart elaborated, “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. I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.”
He continued, “So, may I take this opportunity to thank you for making this extraordinary life possible. I hope you’ll 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.”
The European outing is slated to kick off on April 23, 2027 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, and include stops in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London before moving on to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Copehagen, Helsinki, Rättvik (Sweden), Trondheim (Norway), Bergen (Norway), Budapest, Munich, Pula (Croatia), Prague and Kraków (Poland) before winding down on July 24 at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany.
Stewart was forced to cancel some dates on his One Last Time North American tour after a series of medical issues disrupted the outing. In June, he reportedly had to use an oxygen tank and pause his concert in Utah after nearly fainting on stage and doubling over in discomfort and then drew fire when he canceled a June 12 show in San Diego less than an hour before showtime due to a reported acute upper respiratory infection and was then spotted at the Scotland World Cup match in Boston.
Then, in August, he had to wave off two shows due to what was then described as an “unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention.” He later revealed that he’d undergone a routine coronary stent procedure, after which a statement revealed, “Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod 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.”
On Aug. 9, Stewart called off the remaining dates on his North American One Last Time farewell tour following the procedure. The cancellation impacted planned shows in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado and a run of gigs in Mexico.
Stewart has been touring for more than 60 years as both a solo act and as a member of British rock band the Faces, as well as the vocalist in the Jeff Beck Group. He’s been on the road with his One Last Time trek since 2024 and earlier this year he told British sports chat show talkSPORT that after next year’s shows he was planning to call it a day on major tours.
“Then I’m touring the U.K. next year, doing The O2, and that’ll probably be it, I think,” he said. “I’ll have to do something new, come on your show more often, maybe.”
