Rod Stewart has announced his final major tour, confirming that 2027 will mark the end of a remarkable life on the road that has lasted for more than six decades.
The British singer revealed The Final Encore this week, telling fans that the upcoming series of concerts across the United Kingdom, Ireland and mainland Europe will be his last rock and roll tour.
Stewart, now 81, made one important distinction clear. He is leaving large scale touring, but he is not retiring from music or necessarily from performing altogether.
The announcement comes shortly after health problems forced Stewart to cancel the remaining dates of his 2026 North American tour.
When does Rod Stewart's final tour begin?
The Final Encore is scheduled to begin at Dublin's 3Arena on April 23, 2027.
Stewart will then perform in Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London before taking the tour across mainland Europe.
His London concert is scheduled for May 11 at The O2.
European stops include Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Prague and other major cities.
The newly announced European schedule is due to conclude at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany, on July 24, 2027.
Howard Jones will support Stewart during the UK and Ireland dates.
General ticket sales for the newly announced concerts begin on Friday, October 2, following presales that started earlier this week.
Why is Rod Stewart ending touring?
Stewart described the decision as an emotional one after spending most of his adult life performing around the world.
He has been singing professionally since his teenage years and became an international star through his work with the Jeff Beck Group and Faces before building one of the most successful solo careers in British music.
In announcing the tour, Stewart said The Final Encore would "most definitely" be his last tour and thanked fans for making his extraordinary career possible.
The decision also follows a difficult period for the singer's health.
Stewart cancelled the remainder of his 2026 North American tour after undergoing a coronary stent procedure in August.
The procedure was described as routine, but doctors advised him to rest and recover before returning to performances.
His recent touring schedule had already been interrupted by several health issues.
Earlier performances were affected by respiratory illness, laryngitis and other medical problems. He also required oxygen after nearly fainting during a performance in Utah earlier this year.
Rod Stewart says he is not retiring
Despite the farewell announcement, Stewart does not intend to disappear from music.
"I'm not retiring," he said while announcing the tour, explaining that The Final Encore would instead represent his final rock and roll tour.
That leaves the possibility of occasional concerts, special performances or other musical projects after his regular touring career ends.
Stewart has previously discussed moving toward smaller performances and different musical styles as he gets older.
His recent career has already shown that he remains interested in projects beyond traditional arena rock.
In 2024, Stewart and Jools Holland released the album Swing Fever, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
More than 60 years on the road
Stewart's decision closes one of the longest touring careers in modern popular music.
Born in London in 1945, he began performing professionally during the 1960s before gaining wider recognition with the Jeff Beck Group.
He later joined Faces, where his distinctive raspy voice helped establish him as one of the defining British rock singers of his generation.
His solo career turned him into a global superstar.
Songs including "Maggie May," "You Wear It Well," "You're in My Heart," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Forever Young" became international hits and remain among the most recognizable songs in his catalogue.
Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1994 and again as a member of Faces in 2012.
He was knighted in 2016 for his services to music and charity.
The farewell has been building for years
The Final Encore announcement is not Stewart's first indication that his touring schedule was approaching its end.
His One Last Time tour, which began in 2024, was already presented as a farewell to large scale international touring.
Even then, Stewart repeatedly stressed that reducing his touring schedule did not mean retiring completely.
The new announcement makes the situation much clearer.
The Final Encore will serve as the final major rock and roll tour of his career.
Stewart also has previously scheduled concerts in the United States during 2027, including shows in Georgia and Florida before the European leg and rescheduled performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado in September.
Those American dates remain on his schedule but are separate from the newly announced European Final Encore itinerary.
London will be one of the biggest nights
Among the most closely watched concerts will be Stewart's return to London.
The May 11 performance at The O2 gives the singer a major farewell appearance in the city where his career began.
For British fans, it will also provide one of the final opportunities to see Stewart perform a full arena concert in the UK.
The tour will additionally visit Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, giving fans across Britain several opportunities to attend before Stewart ends his touring career.
Demand could be substantial given the farewell nature of the shows and Stewart's multigenerational audience.
Germany gets the European finale
Germany will play a particularly important role in The Final Encore.
After performing in several German cities during the tour, Stewart is scheduled to conclude the newly announced European itinerary in Hannover on July 24.
German media have highlighted the Hannover concert as the final European date of the farewell run.
The tour will therefore stretch from Dublin in April to Hannover three months later, covering some of Europe's largest music markets along the way.
A final chapter, not a full goodbye
For fans searching whether Rod Stewart is retiring, the answer remains no.
What is ending is the demanding cycle of major international tours that has defined much of his life since the 1960s.
Stewart has left the door open to future music and occasional performances.
That distinction makes The Final Encore less a retirement announcement than the closing of a specific chapter.
At 81, following recent health problems and more than six decades of concerts around the world, Stewart has decided that his time as a full scale touring artist is coming to an end.
For fans across Britain and Europe, 2027 will offer one final chance to see one of rock music's most recognizable voices complete that journey on the road.
