Rod Stewart. Stu Forster/Getty Images
Rod Stewart announced that he had to cancel his milestone Las Vegas residency show after coming down with strep throat.
“I’m desperately sorry to miss this 200th show celebration,” the singer, 79, wrote in a statement shared via Instagram on Wednesday, August 7. “Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me. I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve been looking forward to this concert for so long.”
Stewart apologized to his fans for the “inconvenience” and vowed to return to the stage next year.
“Thankfully we’ll now be returning in 2025 and I hope to see you all there,” he concluded.
Fans quickly took to the comments section to send their well wishes to Stewart.
“Can’t mess with strep! It can be nasty. We’d rather get you healthy to sing to us for many more years! 💕,” one user wrote, while another replied, “Your health comes first, Sir Rod. Don’t apologize. Wishing you a speedy recovery! ❤️🙏🏼.”
Before announcing the cancellation, Stewart revealed his residency would not end with his 200th concert as he plans on coming back next spring.
“Vegas, I’m having too much fun for this to end so we are coming back for an encore!” he wrote via X on Wednesday. “Don’t miss The Encore Shows Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace March 12-22 & May 29-June 8! Tickets on sale Monday at 10amPT!”
Stewart kicked off his Las Vegas residency back in 2011. While the British rocker has performed in Sin City for the past 13 years, he knows he’s not the young man he once was.
“I’m aware my days are numbered but I’ve got no fear,” he said in a July interview with The Sun. “We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket. I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can.”
Stewart teased that he believes he has “another 15” years left in him. He added that as he’s gotten older, he has prioritized taking better care of himself compared to his early rockstar years.
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“I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that,” he reflected. “Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show.”
While Stewart stays hydrated with water throughout his performances, the musician also celebrates each show with a martini afterward with his crew.
“The older you get, the more you have to do that. Water has a hell of a lot to do with it. But no, you think I just have water on my rider?” he quipped. “You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate.”
