Rod Stewart Shares Health Update and Drops Surprise Final Tour News — Igniting Buzz Among Fans

The rock icon's farewell run will take him across Europe next year, with a handful of U.S. dates on either side. Fans quickly flooded his comments with excitement and gratitude after the news broke.

Rod Stewart is gearing up to take the stage one final time. The legendary musician turned to social media late last month to announce what will be his last tour, The Final Encore, set to kick off next year.

Rod Stewart performs onstage at the 2025 American Music Awards held at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on May 26 in Nevada. | Source: Getty Images

"Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever," Stewart began in a video message shared on September 28. "I'm not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour."

He continued, "I wanna thank you for everything you've given me, and hopefully I've given you something in return," before perching his leg up at his piano and singing, "Please come out and see me on the tour. It's gonna be great!"

In the caption, Stewart added, "Well, here we go… one last time! Come and see me on my The Final Encore Tour for one more round of rock 'n' roll. I'm really looking forward to it." Unsurprisingly, the announcement sent fans into a frenzy.

A screengrab of a video, posted September 28, 2026. | Source: Instagram/sirrodstewart

"Ohhhhhh omggg! I'm so excited!!!! Gotta see if any more dates get dropped in the U.S and I will be there singing along! ❤️‍🩹," one person said. Others simply expressed gratitude for the memories the singer's music — and live performances — had given them over the years.

"Rod I have seen you in concert close to 60 times. [...] Breaks my heart that I won't be seeing you in concert anymore. Thanks for the wonderful concert memories," one fan shared. "Love you Sir Rod!! Thank you for all the Rock N Roll you given all of us!!" another added.

The tour opens in Dublin on April 23, after which Stewart will play five dates across his native U.K., among them a show in his hometown of London. Synth-pop artist Howard Jones will serve as the opening act on this leg of the tour.

From there, the "Young Turks" singer will make his way through mainland Europe for the final 15 concerts in May, June and July, before closing out the run in Hannover, Germany, on July 24. Fans can purchase tickets on his website.

Although The Final Encore Tour is a Europe-only affair, Stewart has also lined up a few shows in the U.S. He'll take the stage in Georgia and Florida in March, then return for two performances in Colorado in September, placing his American dates on either side of the farewell tour.

The announcement comes just weeks after Stewart canceled several upcoming shows following a heart procedure.

Back in August, a day after he postponed a Cincinnati show, his team revealed on Instagram that he had undergone a "routine coronary stent procedure" and was "doing very well."

Rod Stewart performs at Mortgage Matchup Center on June 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. | Source: Getty Images

The "Forever Young" hitmaker also included a personal note in the announcement, addressed directly to his fans. "I'm already feeling better and very much on the mend," Stewart wrote at the time.

"I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me," he said. "I'm deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon."