Barry Manilow was left unable to perform after being diagnosed with lung cancer. July 17 2026 not only marks his 83rd birthday, but it is also the day he will take to the stage in London's O2 Arena for his last ever UK shows. Almost 48 years after he first set foot on a UK stage, with a run of shows in the London Palladium in October 1978, he is getting set to bid farewell.
Health Battle and Diagnosis
This has been billed as his Last Last Tour, playing on the fact he claimed his concerts around Great Britain in May and June 2024 were his final ones. However, this time it seems more definitive since his recent health issues meant there was a question mark over whether he could even complete the dates. In what has been a worrying six months for the Could It Be Magic hitmaker, just days before Christmas 2025 he revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He announced the diagnosis in a candid statement posted on social media, confirming that doctors discovered a cancerous spot on his left lung and that part of it would need to be removed. This followed a prolonged period of illness which had seen him cancel a run of concerts in his Las Vegas residency as he suffered six weeks of bronchitis.
It was while he was undergoing an MRI to ensure that infection had cleared that doctors discovered a cancerous spot on his left lung that needed to be removed.
Recovery and Comeback
Just over three months later in March 2026, the star revealed he had beaten stage 1 lung cancer — but the treatment took a heavy toll, leaving him without the stamina to perform his high-energy shows. Having undergone a lobectomy to remove one of the two lobes in his left lung, his body functions fundamentally changed. Losing part of a lung forced him to relearn basic physical functions. Everyday stamina and breath control now require deliberate effort. He effectively had to retrain himself to breathe properly again, describing the experience as "crazy".
He admitted to People magazine he was still not capable of the physical demands of a full concert. "My voice is coming back. My energy is coming back. But it's not there yet because the shows that I do are full of energy. And unless you're in top-notch shape, you can't make it through 90 minutes. And I know I, today, I couldn't make it through 90 minutes," he said.
This was less than two months before the first of his scheduled UK dates in Glasgow on Tuesday June 9. He added his recovery was far slower and more challenging than he anticipated and said he was still nowhere near ready to return to full performances.
Training and Final Shows
In order to get back in shape for the stage, he had to undergo vocal exercises, breathing lessons, and intense physical training, including multiple daily treadmill sessions, while also trying to regain the weight he lost during treatment. While it appeared to be touch and go as he continued to cancel US dates, he did indeed make it to the UK and has been delighting fans around the UK for a week now. It is a bittersweet return as his age coupled with his health issues means this is more than likely definitely the last opportunity people will have to see him on UK soil.
However, for those who don't mind travelling, he still has upcoming dates booked in the Westgate in Las Vegas for anyone who needs an extra fix of Manilow magic after the lights go down in London for the last time.
