ROD STEWART ANNOUNCES FINAL ENCORE FAREWELL TOUR FOR 2027

Rod Stewart has announced he is retiring from touring after six decades on stage, confirming a farewell run of shows called "The Final Encore" for 2027. In a statement, the singer said: "My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road." He added that after more than six decades, the tour "will most definitely be my last," recalling that he had been performing the music he loves since he was 19. Stewart said the career had given him "a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined" and thanked fans for making it possible.

The UK and Ireland leg begins at Dublin's 3Arena on 23 April, before dates in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, ending at The O2 in London on 11 May. Howard Jones will provide support across the UK and Ireland shows. Stewart is then scheduled to play across Europe between late May and late July, with stops including Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Budapest, Munich, Prague and Kraków. Tickets go on general sale at 10am BST on Friday, 2 October, with a fan club pre-sale beginning on Tuesday, 29 September, followed by local pre-sales.

The announcement comes after Stewart cancelled several dates on his "One Last Time" North American tour over the summer following a routine coronary stent procedure. He had previously withdrawn from a show at short notice, citing what was described as an "unforeseen but minor medical procedure." Earlier in that tour, he paused a performance in Utah to use an oxygen tank after nearly fainting on stage. Stewart said he hoped fans would join him for what he described as "one hell of a show."