Toby Keith has announced that he’ll be headlining two new concerts amid his recent cancer battle. The country music legend will perform a pair of shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas. The concerts will be held on Sunday, Dec. 10 and Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, both starting at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.
In a statement about the big announcement, Keith said, “Y’all been waiting a long time to hear this, I’ve been waiting a long time to do this. I’m back, come see me. You’ll have the best time, I will too. We’ll never forget it. Can’t wait to see you there. Let’s go.”
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The new concerts come more than a year after Keith revealed that doctors had diagnosed him with cancer. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith wrote in a June 2022 tweet. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.” The “Beer for My Horses” singer added, “I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Keith later made a surprise performance in November 2022, marking his first time playing to a crowd since his cancer diagnosis. Billboard reported that the country music superstar sang a few songs at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky. Keith was visiting the city for the 2022 Breeder’s World Cup Championship event, which was held at Keeneland Race Course.
Just last month, the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards honored Keith with the County Icon Award, and the singer-songwriter delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech. After being given his award from fellow Oklahoman country singer Blake Shelton, Keith joked, “I bet you never thought y’all’d see me in skinny jeans.” This seems to be a reference to weight loss stemming from his cancer battle.
“I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight, he’s been riding shotgun with me for a little while now,” Keith continued, then going on to praise his family for their support. “I want to thank my beautiful family that’s here,” he said. “A lot of people go in and make a career like this of 30 years.” After thanking many of the people on his team, Keith said, “Most of all. I want to thank the fans for still allowing us to do what we do. Have a wonderful evening, thank you!” The singer then went on to perform a tear-jerking rendition of “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
