Rod Stewart Announces 'Final Encore' Tour at 81 After 6 Decades on Stage: 'Most Definitely My Last'

Rod Stewart is saying farewell to the road. The rock legend announced his final tour after canceling his U.S. concert dates last summer due to health issues.

"My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road," Stewart, 81, said in a statement obtained by Page Six on Monday, September 28. "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," the statement continued. "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."

Stewart's final tour is set to kick off in April 2027 in Europe, hitting Ireland and Scotland before moving on to England in May. The European leg will also include shows in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and more.

Stewart followed up his announcement with a social media video, reassuring fans that his final tour doesn't mean he's done with music.

"I'm not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour," he told fans via Instagram while being filmed in a gold-tinted living room. "So I want to thank you for everything you’ve given me, and hopefully I’ve given you something in return. So, please come out and see me on the tour! It’s going to be great!"

Stewart's final tour follows a year marked by serious health struggles.

In August, the "Forever Young" artist was forced to cancel the rest of the dates on his U.S. tour after undergoing surgery to address a heart blockage. Doctors discovered the issue during a medical checkup after Stewart nearly fainted on stage at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in June.

"Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities," his representatives said in a statement on August 11. "On the advice of his doctors, he will 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."

Stewart's wife, Penny Lancaster, shared an update about his health during an appearance on Vanessa Feltz's YouTube show At Home With Vanessa on September 23.

"He's great. He's really good," Lancaster, 55, explained. "He'd gone through a couple of incidents where he had an upper respiratory infection, and then he was at a concert where there was very high altitude, so it would affect anybody. But what we didn't know was there was an underlying heart issue."

She continued, "I mean, he's like one of the fittest guys I know. Forget being fit for 80-odd. He's fit for someone my age in their 50s, but fortunately it was at the right time, at the right place, and they detected a slight blockage which needed a stent."