Sir Rod Stewart has postponed another concert, this time in Cincinnati, just hours before he was due on stage, after what organizers described as an unforeseen but minor medical procedure requiring prompt attention. The 81-year-old rock legend was scheduled to perform at the Riverbend Music Center over the weekend, but the venue announced the cancellation on the day of the show, assuring fans that rescheduling is already in progress.
Venue statement and ticket promises
The Riverbend Music Center released a statement explaining: “Due to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention, Rod Stewart’s performance tonight in Cincinnati has been postponed.” The venue added that all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date, and noted that “Rod is expected to make a quick recovery and looks forward to returning to Cincinnati.”
This latest cancellation comes just two months after Stewart nearly fainted on stage and required an oxygen tank mid-performance. In June, he axed two shows in his Las Vegas residency due to a sinus infection that left him needing vocal recovery. He was later seen relying on oxygen during another show in Utah, raising concerns among fans about his health.
Recent health struggles and public appearances
When Stewart returned to the stage after those cancellations, he told the crowd: “I’m going to drink to health. It’s been most enjoyable, but we’ve still got a long way to go.” Earlier this year, he also scrapped a show 40 minutes before it was due to start, which angered fans, but he was spotted the next day cheering on Scotland at the Men’s World Cup with his sons and wife.
Stewart admitted that decision “wasn’t a good look” but explained he didn’t want to let down his sons, Alastair, 20, and Liam, 31. Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, he said: “No, I got an awful… I really shouldn’t have gone to the Haiti game. You know, I had to cancel a show the night before because I just had no voice left. I promised them since they were born that we were going to go to a World Cup. And this is the first one that’s come about.”
No update yet on latest procedure
So far, Stewart has not publicly commented on his most recent health issue. Unlike the previous cancellation, there is no World Cup match this time that might draw him away from recovery. However, the singer has had some heartwarming family news recently: his daughter Ruby welcomed her second son, Levi Rhodes Kalick, with fiancé Jake Kalick.
Ruby, who already has a son named Otis, shared the news on Instagram: “We welcomed our little (big) Levi Rhodes Kalick at 6:58pm on 8/4/26 at 9lbs 20inches…. His name Levi means My Heart and his arrival has grown our hearts to 10 times the size…” She described her sons meeting for the first time as the “greatest experience of my life so far,” adding, “Otis is already the best big brother and we are already so in love with this sweet boy… Welcome sweet Levi!”
Grandfatherly joy and ongoing legacy
Stewart has previously called being a grandfather an “indescribable” joy, though he has not yet publicly commented on the newborn. Despite the health setbacks, the rock icon continues to maintain a busy touring schedule, with fans eagerly awaiting the rescheduled Cincinnati date and hoping for a swift recovery.
