Legendary rock icon Rod Stewart is officially preparing to lower the curtain on his decades-long life on the road, officially revealing his definitive retirement from touring.
Now 81, the raspy-voiced showman has spent over sixty years entertaining audiences around the globe. His touring days began modestly in the early 1960s when he busked through Europe alongside folk performer Wizz Jones—armed with little more than a harmonica—a stint that famously ended with his deportation from Spain for vagrancy.
Now, that legendary journey is drawing to a close with Rod Stewart: The Final Encore, a sweeping farewell tour across the UK and Europe scheduled to launch in April 2027. Fans across Britain will get their final goodbyes in major cities including Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, and London.
The expansive European leg will ultimately conclude the run in Hanover, Germany, in July 2027.
Reflecting on his decision, the veteran frontman expressed deep gratitude to his global audience:
“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. 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. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return. So, may I take this opportunity to thank you for making this extraordinary life possible.”
While the European tour marks his final formal trek, Stewart still has makeup performances scheduled for September 2027 at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Those dates were originally pushed back from June after severe vocal cord inflammation forced a delay.
That setback was part of a string of health challenges during his American farewell tour, One Last Time. During that leg, Stewart had to rely on an oxygen mask onstage in Utah after nearly collapsing mid-show, and he ultimately called off remaining dates following a heart procedure. The tour had already been plagued by cancellations stemming from flu, COVID-19, strep throat, and vocal strain.
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His path to stardom was built on relentless gigging. Following his early days with Wizz Jones, Stewart cycled through several bands—including Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions, Steampacket, and Shotgun Express—before gaining major traction with the Jeff Beck Group and later fronting the Faces. By the late 1960s, Stewart launched a solo trajectory that catapulted him into superstar status.
Driven by the massive success of his landmark 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story, his commercial run proved virtually unmatched: 28 of his 29 subsequent studio albums cracked the UK Top 10. Showing no signs of creative slowing down, his 2024 big-band collaboration with Jools Holland, Swing Fever, soared straight to the top of the charts.
Although the physical demands of world tours are coming to an end, Stewart hasn’t closed the door on new music. Speaking on BBC’s Desert Island Discs, he hinted at unreleased material with his former Faces collaborator Ronnie Wood, noting that they have a strong collection of archival tracks they plan to finish whenever their schedules align.