Lionel Richie, 77, was forced to cut short the first show of his Sing A Song All Night Long tour on June 24, 2026, after falling ill and swaying uncontrollably on stage. The concert at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, saw Richie announce an unusual intermission following his performance of Three Times A Lady from the piano.
Richie's health concerns during the performance
According to Minnesota's Bring Me The News, Richie's band left the stage shortly after the intermission announcement. About 30 minutes later, a band member returned to inform the audience that Richie would not be returning due to illness. Videos posted on social media show Richie sitting down multiple times during his second-to-last song, Dancing On The Ceiling, and telling the crowd he felt dizzy. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Richie told the audience, 'When you're feeling dizzy, sit your a** down.'
Fan reactions and show details
Attendees expressed concern on social media. One user, Greg, wrote: 'Hey now, our older, legendary performers are getting older, unfortunately. Sounds like he was just dehydrated, and the rider contract should always include 200 bottles of water.' Another fan, Sharon, added: 'I saw him last year when he was touring with Earth Wind and Fire. Both did amazing concerts. Hopefully he's going to be okay.'
The first half of the concert featured a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, with Richie taking the stage for the second half. The tour is scheduled to visit 26 cities through August 14, 2026. Richie's representatives have not yet commented on the incident.
Unsteady moments captured on video
One clip shows Richie appearing unsteady as he walked across the stage while singing Dancing On The Ceiling. He stopped and sat on the edge of a step, continuing to sing while seated. After standing up, he sat down again less than 30 seconds later. According to the Star Tribune, many audience members began to leave after Richie's band exited the stage.
