Lewis Capaldi has cancelled his entire upcoming tour and announced he is taking a break from touring 'for the foreseeable future' to 'adjust to the impact' of living with Tourette syndrome. The 26-year-old Scottish songwriter's statement followed his performance on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury on Saturday, in which he lost his voice and relied on the audience to help him sing his biggest hits.
The Glastonbury set was his return to performance after announcing in early June that he was cancelling all dates in the lead-up to the festival in order to take care of his mental health. During the show, he told the vast crowd that it was likely the last people would see of him for a while as he took another break.
In a statement confirming his upcoming absence, Capaldi wrote: 'I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I'd hoped three weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I'm still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend so much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time.'
He apologised to fans who had planned to see him perform this year on a tour through Europe, Australia, east Asia, the UK and the Middle East. 'I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve,' he wrote. 'Playing for you every night is all I've ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I'll be back as soon as I possibly can.'
Despite his struggles, Capaldi's set won praise from critics, with the Guardian calling it 'beautiful, supportive, truly communal, and a testament to the complex bond he has built with his fans; a real human triumph'. His second album, Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, released in May, debuted at No 1 and is set to rise to No 4 this week, while his 2019 debut has also climbed the charts.
