Sir Rod Stewart has announced he is finally saying goodbye to life on the road, bringing down the curtain on more than six decades of touring.
The 81-year-old rock legend revealed his upcoming 2027 tour, appropriately titled The Final Encore, will be his last, telling fans “the time has come to say farewell to life on the road”.
But before anyone packs away the leopard print and pours a farewell whisky, Sir Rod has made one thing clear: he is not retiring from music altogether.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever,” Stewart said in a video message.
“I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock ‘n’ roll tour.
“So I want to thank you for everything you’ve given me and hopefully I’ve given you something in return.”
The Final Encore will begin in Dublin in April 2027 before travelling through the UK and Europe, with concerts scheduled for Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and a string of other European cities.
In a separate message announcing the tour, Stewart reflected on an extraordinary career that has kept him on stages around the world since he was a teenager.
“My dear friends, the time has come to say farewell to life on the road,” he said.
“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.”
He added: “May I take this opportunity to thank you for making this extraordinary life possible.”
And, in typical Rod fashion, he promised he wasn’t planning on slipping quietly out the back door.
“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 announcement comes after a difficult period for the veteran performer, who was forced to cut short his 2026 US tour after undergoing a coronary stent procedure.
His representatives said at the time that doctors were pleased with his recovery and that Stewart had returned to his normal daily activities, although he was advised to take time away from performing to regain full fitness.
It was another reminder that even one of rock music’s seemingly indestructible showmen can’t stay on the road forever.
Stewart first rose to fame in the late 1960s with the Jeff Beck Group before joining the Faces, then became a global superstar in his own right following his breakthrough solo album Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971.
What followed was one of popular music’s most enduring careers, with songs including Maggie May, Sailing, You Wear It Well, Tonight’s the Night, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Baby Jane and You’re in My Heart becoming staples across generations.
He has sold more than 250 million records and singles worldwide and is a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – as a solo artist and as a member of the Faces.
He was knighted in 2016 for his services to music and charity.
And while The Final Encore means the end of the seemingly endless procession of airports, hotels, arenas and tour buses, Stewart’s insistence that he is “not retiring” leaves the door open for music – and perhaps the occasional performance – beyond 2027.
For a man who has been singing professionally since he was 19, completely putting his feet up was probably always going to be a little too much to ask.
