Rod Stewart has announced that next year’s European tour will be his last, more than 60 years after he first went on the road. The 81-year-old says he is not retiring from music, only from rock touring. The Final Encore opens in Dublin on April 23, 2027.
Rod Stewart has announced that he will stop mounting major tours after next year, Billboard reported.
The singer, who is 81, made the announcement in an Instagram video on Monday, September 28.
What He Said
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce that next year will be my last tour ever, ever,” Stewart said.
“I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock n’ roll tour.”
In a written statement he added: “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.”
The Tour
The Final Encore is a European tour.
- Opens: April 23, 2027, at 3Arena in Dublin
- Closes: July 24, 2027, at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany
In between, it visits Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London, then Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Budapest, Munich, Prague and Kraków, along with dates in Sweden, Norway and Croatia.
The Small Print
Stewart was specific that this is his last “rock” tour. Billboard noted that this could leave room for future performances of the American songbook standards he recorded in the early 2000s.
A Difficult Year
The announcement follows a run of health problems during his North American farewell tour, One Last Time, which he has been on since 2024.
- June: he reportedly needed an oxygen tank and had to pause a concert in Utah after nearly fainting on stage
- June 12: he cancelled a show in San Diego less than an hour before it was due to start, citing a reported acute upper respiratory infection
- August: he underwent what was later described as a routine coronary stent procedure
- August 9: he called off the remaining North American dates, including shows in Kansas City and Las Vegas and a run in Mexico
A statement at the time said doctors were pleased with his recovery.
Six Decades on the Road
Stewart has toured for more than 60 years, as a solo artist, as a member of the Faces and as the vocalist in the Jeff Beck Group.
Image: Rod Stewart on stage in London, May 2023 (file photo). Photo by Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
