Rod Stewart has announced that his 2027 European tour will be his final major rock tour, ending more than six decades of touring while leaving open the possibility of performing in other formats.
The 81-year-old British singer made the announcement on Monday, September 28, in an Instagram video, saying the upcoming tour would mark his last time taking a major rock tour on the road.
“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. So I want to thank you for everything you’ve given me and hopefully I’ve given you something in return.”
Stewart said the decision followed more than 60 years of performing music professionally. He began singing at 19 and has toured both as a solo performer and as a member of groups including the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
In a separate statement, Stewart described the upcoming shows, billed as The Final Encore, as his farewell to life on the road.
“My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last,” he said.
“I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you.”
The European tour is scheduled to begin on April 23, 2027, at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. It will include performances in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London before continuing through several European cities.
The tour is expected to conclude on July 24 at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany, following stops including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Rättvik, Trondheim, Bergen, Budapest, Munich, Pula, Prague and Kraków.
Stewart has continued touring despite disruptions to his recent One Last Time North American tour. Several performances were cancelled in 2026 following health-related setbacks.
In August, the singer disclosed that he had undergone a coronary stent procedure after previously describing the reason for cancelling two performances as an unforeseen but minor medical procedure.
A statement released after the procedure said doctors were satisfied with his recovery and that Stewart would take time to regain full fitness before returning to the stage.
He subsequently cancelled the remaining dates of his North American tour, affecting planned performances in several U.S. cities and Mexico.
Stewart had previously indicated that his 2027 UK performances could mark the end of his major touring career.
Speaking on British sports programme talkSPORT earlier this year, he said, “Then I’m touring the U.K. next year, doing The O2, and that’ll probably be it, I think.”
Although Stewart has announced an end to major rock touring, his statement makes clear that he does not consider himself fully retired from performing.
He told fans he hoped they would attend the final tour, adding, “I hope you’ll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how … with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.”
Rod Stewart’s final major rock tour will mark the latest chapter in a career spanning more than six decades, while the singer says he is not retiring completely from music.
Ademide Adebayo
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