Rod Stewart has announced his "Final Encore."
The rock legend, 81, has announced new concert dates that he says will be his "last tour ever."
"Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce, next year will be my last tour ever, ever," he said in an Instagram video on Monday, Sept. 28. "I'm not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour. So I want to thank you for everything you've given me, and hopefully I've given you something in return."
The video came alongside The Final Encore Tour concert dates across the United Kingdom and Europe, from April to July 2027.
"Please come back and see me on the top," he said, before slamming a nearby piano in song: "It's gonna be great."
procedure, cancels shows
Stewart had postponed a Cincinnati concert in August hours before show time "due to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention." Days later, his team announced he would be canceling the remainder of his Las Vegas residency and 2026 One Last Time farewell tour dates after undergoing a "routine coronary stent procedure."
"Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities," his representatives said in a statement to USA TODAY on Aug. 11. "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."
A coronary artery stent – "a small, metal mesh tube that expands inside a coronary artery – is typically placed during angioplasty, a procedure that opens "narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart," according to Medline Plus. The stent prevents the artery from narrowing again.
Stewart has also battled both thyroid cancer – in the early 2000s, which left him unable to sing for nine months – and prostate cancer in 2017. In 2025, the "Maggie May" singer canceled several shows after a lengthy bout with the flu.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rod Stewart announces farewell tour, his last rock and roll tour 'ever'
