Sir Rod Stewart has announced he is retiring after more than sixty years on stage, wrapping his career with one final tour set to begin next year.
The 81-year-old rock legend said he will finish the job the only way he knows how, on stage, under a farewell run titled “The Final Encore,” Page Six reported.
The tour is slated to open at Dublin’s 3Arena. Stewart made clear this is not a soft exit or a maybe.
“After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last,” he said.
Stewart has been one of the best-selling performers of all time, with more than 250 million records sold worldwide. He was inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, once as a solo artist and once as a member of The Faces.
Fans still know him as the voice behind hits like “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” He has been singing the music he loves since he was 19.
In his retirement message, he thanked the audiences who kept him on the road for a lifetime most artists never reach.
“I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.”
“So, may I take this opportunity to thank you for making this extraordinary life possible. I hope you’ll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how... with the music and one h*** of a show. See you there.”
The farewell news lands after a serious health scare. Last month Stewart had to scrap the remaining 11 shows of his U.S. tour, including a six-date residency in Las Vegas, after a heart procedure in which doctors fitted a stent.
A stent is a small wire tube placed in the coronary arteries to keep blood flowing to the heart when a blockage threatens.
Stewart wrote on Instagram that he was already feeling better.
“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend.”
“I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me.”
“I am deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon.”
His representative later posted that doctors were pleased with the recovery. Rod had returned to normal daily activities, the statement said, but would take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage.
“Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates,” the representative said. Promoters and venues would handle information on the affected shows.
That medical pause now sits behind a larger decision. Stewart is not stretching the calendar forever. He is drawing a line, naming the tour, and pointing fans to Dublin next year for the start of the end.
For a singer who has worked stages since his teens, the choice is plain: one more run, full voice, then done.
In an industry that often confuses noise with talent, Stewart built a career the old way, decades of work, songs people still sing, and a final tour announced without spin.
