Patti Smith Hospitalized After Falling Ill in Italy

Legendary American rocker and poet Patti Smith was hospitalized in Bologna, Italy due to a “sudden illness.” Smith, 76, was set to take the stage at Teatro Duse, the oldest theater in the city, on Tuesday, but the show, as well as concerts in Venice and Milan as part of her Italian tour, was canceled after the musician fell ill with an unknown illness, according to local media outlet TGCOM24.

“With great regret, we inform the kind audience that the [Patti Smith] concert scheduled for today 12 December 2023 at 9 pm will not be able to go on stage due to a sudden illness that struck the artist,” Teatro Duse announced the cancellation of Smith’s show on Instagram. “We are all sorry for the inconvenience caused by this news. Our best wishes for a speedy recovery go to the artist.”

Smith was reportedly taken to the Maggiore hospital in Bologna and kept under observation, according to local media. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, the Local Health Authority of Bologna confirmed the singer was discharged from the hospital Wednesday “in good health conditions.” The medical team went on to share that it hopes to see the singer on stage soon after “an appropriate period of rest.” The LA Times was also provided with photos showing Smith smiling as she posed with hospital staff.

Before her hospitalization, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee shared four black-and-white photos from her time in Siena, writing, “This is Siena at night. The mystery of history, present tense energy. Impossible embraceable Siena at night.” She returned to Instagram Wednesday with a post celebrating the birthday of the late Tom Verlaine. The “Because the Night” singer-songwriter has not publicly commented on her hospitalization at this time, which resulted in the Tuesday show in Bologna, as well as shows in Venice and Milan on Thursday and Friday, to be canceled. It is unclear whether they will be rescheduled.

Smith’s current string of Italian shows kicked off back on Nov. 28 with a performance in Ancona. She went on to perform in Bari, Naples, and Modena over the past two weeks. The songstress also has three US performances scheduled before the end of the year – Chicago’s Salt Shed on Dec. 27, as well as two shows in Brooklyn, New York on Dec. 29 and 30. This past summer, Smith, known as the “high priestess of punk-poetry,” and her band performed at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, opening for the alternative rock group The National.