Sir Rod Stewart has left a suspicious Glastonbury-shaped hole in the middle of his final ever tour. The Maggie May legend, 81, has announced The Final Encore, bringing more than six decades of life on the road to an end with a mammoth run across the UK and Europe in 2027. But eagle-eyed fans studying the dates may notice there is plenty of room for one particularly enormous encore.
Glastonbury weekend gap
Glastonbury returns to Worthy Farm from June 23 to 27 next year following its 2026 fallow year – and Sir Rod just happens to be in Europe, with a conveniently empty diary for most of that weekend. The rocker is scheduled to perform at Pula Arena in Croatia on June 22 before heading to Prague's O2 Arena on Thursday, June 24. His next announced concert isn't until July 20 in Kraków, leaving Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Glastonbury weekend conspicuously free.
Prague to Pilton isn't exactly popping down the road for a pint, but for a musician who has spent more than 60 years criss-crossing the globe, it's certainly not an impossible commute. Of course, there is one fairly significant argument against the detective work: Sir Rod was literally just there. He triumphantly took over Glastonbury's coveted Sunday afternoon Legends slot in 2025, returning to the festival more than two decades after previously headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002.
Final tour details
So another appearance just two years later would be highly unusual – and there is currently nothing to suggest he has actually been booked. Still, this is the final tour of one of Britain's biggest living rock stars, and Sir Rod has made clear that retiring from the road does not mean disappearing from music altogether. Stranger things have happened at Worthy Farm.
The newly announced Final Encore begins at Dublin's 3Arena on April 23 before heading to Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London. Howard Jones, the 80s star behind hits including What Is Love? and Things Can Only Get Better, will support him across the UK and Ireland dates. Sir Rod then heads into mainland Europe, with shows scheduled across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Hungary and Croatia before that tantalising late-June gap. The tour eventually concludes at Hannover's ZAG Arena on July 24.
Farewell statement and career highlights
Announcing the shows, Sir Rod said: 'The time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last. 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. I hope you'll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how… with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.'
The singer had previously announced the news in a rather more characteristically Rod fashion, posting a video on Instagram in which he insisted: 'I'm not retiring, but this will be the last rock'n'roll tour.' After thanking fans for everything they had given him over his career, he repeatedly hit a note on his piano while singing: 'So please come and see me on the tour, it's gonna be great.'
Sir Rod has sold more than 250 million records and singles worldwide, amassed 31 UK Top 10 singles – including six number ones – and scored 11 UK number one albums. His catalogue includes Maggie May, Sailing, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, You Wear It Well, Baby Jane, Young Turks, The First Cut Is the Deepest and Tonight's the Night. He has also been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice and spent 13 years performing a 200-show residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Health issues and future plans
The farewell tour follows a difficult period in which health issues forced Sir Rod to cancel and reschedule several performances. Earlier this year, he pulled out of a show in San Diego with just 40 minutes to spare after suffering laryngitis. He had previously cancelled two shows during his Las Vegas residency because of a sinus infection, while another performance saw him relying on an oxygen tank after struggling with the altitude in Utah.
His newly announced farewell dates nevertheless make clear that Sir Rod intends to go out doing what he has done for most of his life: performing. Whether that includes one final – or, technically, one very recent repeat – trip to Worthy Farm remains to be seen.
