Rod Stewart is preparing to take his final bow from life on the road.
The 81-year-old rock legend announced Monday that his newly unveiled 2027 tour, The Final Encore, will be his last major tour after more than six decades of performing around the world.
But Stewart made one important distinction clear for worried fans: he is not necessarily retiring from music altogether.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever,” Stewart said in a video posted to Instagram. “I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour.” AOL.com
The announcement comes just weeks after Stewart underwent a coronary stent procedure that forced him to cancel the remainder of his 2026 tour dates.
In his farewell message, the “Maggie May” singer thanked generations of fans who have followed him through one of rock music’s longest careers.
“My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road,” Stewart wrote. “After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last.” AAP News
Stewart said he has been singing professionally since he was 19 and described his career as a life beyond anything he could have imagined.
He also promised that he intends to go out in classic Rod Stewart fashion — with a major show rather than a quiet goodbye.
In the video announcement, Stewart even lightened the emotional moment by walking over to a piano and singing an invitation for fans to come see him on the tour.
The Final Encore is currently scheduled to include 21 dates across the United Kingdom and Europe.
The run begins April 23, 2027, at Dublin’s 3Arena and is scheduled to make stops in cities including Glasgow, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague before wrapping up July 24 at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany. AOL.com
Eighties pop star Howard Jones, known for songs including “What Is Love?” and “Things Can Only Get Better,” is scheduled to support Stewart during the UK and Ireland portion of the tour. TicketNews
Although The Final Encore centers on Europe, Stewart also has several U.S. performances scheduled for 2027, including appearances in Georgia and Florida before the European leg and two Colorado concerts later in the year. AOL.com
That makes Stewart’s wording significant: he is saying goodbye to large-scale touring, rather than declaring that he will never perform onstage again.
The announcement follows a difficult stretch for the veteran performer.
In August, Stewart’s representatives announced that he had undergone a “routine coronary stent procedure” following further medical evaluation. A coronary stent is used to help keep a narrowed or blocked artery open and restore blood flow.
His medical team said at the time that the procedure had been successful and that Stewart was “doing very well,” but doctors advised him to spend four weeks recovering before returning to strenuous performing. Good Morning America
The recovery period forced Stewart to cancel the remaining dates on his One Last Time tour, including a planned appearance at the Minnesota State Fair and a string of other U.S. concerts. CBS News
“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend,” Stewart said after the procedure, while thanking his doctors and nurses and apologizing to disappointed fans. Star Tribune
His wife, Penny Lancaster, later said doctors had discovered a previously unknown heart issue before the procedure.
The heart operation was not Stewart’s only health-related interruption this year.
Earlier in the summer, several concerts were canceled or postponed as he dealt with respiratory and vocal problems. ITV reported that Stewart had previously canceled performances while recovering from a sinus infection and later from a respiratory infection that caused laryngitis. ITVX
Despite those setbacks, Stewart appears determined to finish his touring career on his own terms.
The singer has been performing since the 1960s, first building his reputation with the Jeff Beck Group and Faces before becoming one of the most recognizable solo singers of his generation.
His unmistakable raspy voice powered hits including “Maggie May,” “You Wear It Well,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “Sailing,” “Forever Young” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
Stewart was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo performer in 1994. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Now, more than 60 years after beginning his career, Stewart says the relentless cycle of touring is finally coming to an end.
For longtime fans, The Final Encore could therefore become something more significant than another greatest-hits tour. It is being billed as the closing chapter of a touring career that has stretched from intimate clubs and the British rock scene of the 1960s to sold-out arenas around the world.
Stewart summed up the moment simply in his farewell statement, saying he hopes fans will join him one more time so he can thank them “the best way I know how” — with music and a final show. AAP News
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.