Rod Stewart Falls Ill, Cancels Major Concert

Rod Stewart was forced to cancel a concert in Australia at the last moment. According to The Guardian, Stewart took to social media to explain the reason for the cancellation and apologize to fans in Australia.

“Hello my friends. I’m absolutely downhearted that I’m disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day On The Green,” Stewart writes. “Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing.”

“I’m only human and sometimes get sick just like you do,” he continued. “My greatest joy is performing fr you, so I’m doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!”

The 78-year-old singer was set to appear alongside Cindi Lauper and New Zealand’s John Stevens at the show. His attempts to heal up likely coincide with his scheduled dates in Australia next week, appearing in Adelaide and Sydney among five other dates. His tour will then take him to New Zealand, Mexico, the U.S., Ireland, and then a return to the U.K. before heading to Spain.

The gig cancellation was announced before Stewart’s message, with Live Nation and Roundhouse Entertainment lamenting the poor turn of events. “We apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience to ticket holders,” the statement read. “A further announcement regarding the concert arrangements will be made early next week.”

The sad cherry on top is how Stewart was forced to cancel shows in Australia in 2022 due to illness, with COVID filling the role last time around. He’s also been dealing with some family troubles and losses, including the deaths of two of his brothers, his legal wranglings in the U.S., and having to rush his 11-year-old son to the hospital back before Christmas 2022.

Before that, he caused concern by going out in public with crutches, with some pointing back to his silent battle with prostate cancer. Hopefully, it is nothing too serious for the music legend.