Rod Stewart angers fans by attending World Cup match after concert cancellation
Citing health reasons, the 81-year-old singer canceled his sold-out show in California before flying to Boston to watch Scotland’s opening group stage match the next day.
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Rod Stewart is in a bit of trouble. The legendary rock singer has drawn the ire of fans after canceling a concert in California just hours before he was due to go on stage, citing health reasons, before attending a World Cup match the next day.
Stewart’s team cancellation his gig in Chula Vista, California, sharing on his Instagram that “on the advice of his doctors and following a diagnosis of an acute upper respiratory infection that has resulted in laryngitis, he is unable to take the stage this evening.” Such vocal issues were not enough to stop him from cheering on the Scotland national team, however; just a day later, he posted a video of himself flying to Boston in a private jet “to see Scotland in the World Cup,” concluding it with a chant of “No Scotland, no party!” He was later seen celebrating enthusiastically at Scotland’s victory against Haiti.
The move has sparked criticism from fans, particularly as the Chula Vista show was canned less than an hour before Stewart was due to go on. He has also postponed his shows at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, citing vocal rest; instead of the planned June 15 and 16 shows, they will now take place in September 2027. His next scheduled appearance is in West Valley City, Utah, on June 19.
Though he has more than 20 dates left in the US this year, Stewart has repeatedly made allusions to winding down his large-scale touring. “I’m touring the UK next year, doing The O2, and that’ll probably be it, I think,” he said in a recent interview with TalkSport. In 2025, ahead of his 80th birthday, he shared with The Sun that he feels his “days are numbered,” acknowledging that “nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show.” Even so, Stewart doesn’t seem interested in retiring. He played the legends’ slot at Glastonbury 2025, joined onstage by the likes of Lulu, Mick Hucknall, and Ronnie Wood. “I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can,” he said in that same Sun interview. “I say few—probably another 15. I can do that, easy, mate. Easy.”
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