Rod Stewart, 81, Shares Health Update After Heart Procedure Ahead of 2027 Farewell Tour

Three months after a heart procedure forced him to cut short his 2026 tour, Sir Rod Stewart says he still has plenty of voice left for his farewell. The 81-year-old "Maggie May" singer told The Sun that he moves around the stage less than he did at 32, but believes his singing has improved with age.

"I think the audience knows that, vocally, I'm better now than I've ever been," Stewart said in the November interview. He also recalled how a bout of bronchitis made it difficult to breathe during a show at high altitude. He got through the performance, he said, but it was painful.

In August, Stewart's team announced that he had successfully undergone a routine coronary stent procedure. His doctors were pleased with his recovery and said he had returned to his normal daily activities. They advised him to take four weeks to recuperate, however, prompting him to cancel the remaining dates on that leg of his One Last Time tour. The affected shows included a planned six-night run at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

His wife, Penny Lancaster, later explained why being active at home was different from being ready for a concert. Stewart typically spends much of a nearly two-hour show moving around the stage, she said, with several costume changes along the way. By mid-October, Stewart offered fans a sign of how his recovery was going. At a London gala for Sinatra the Musical, he said he had recently swum 400 metres.

Stewart announced The Final Encore in September, billing it as his last rock-and-roll tour after more than six decades on the road. His official schedule lists dates in North America, Ireland, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. He has left the door open to making music and playing occasional shows after the tour.