Sean Mandell Whitney Vasquez
A sore way to go out.
Rod Stewart has canceled what was supposed to be his 200th show of his Las Vegas residency after contracting strep throat.
Stewart, 79, was set to take the stage at Caesars Palace on Wednesday, August 7, to cap off a 13-year run playing at the iconic Vegas venue.
The rocker revealed the news to his fans via social media.
“I’m desperately sorry to miss this 200th show celebration,” Stewart wrote in a statement he posted on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.
“Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me,” he added. “I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve been looking forward to this concert for so long.”
“My deepest regrets for any inconvenience this has caused,” he continued. “Thankfully we’ll now be returning in 20225 and I hope to see you all there.”
Hours before announcing the cancellation, Stewart revealed that the residency wasn’t ending.
Captioning an Instagram reel of highlights from his residency, the iconic singer wrote, “Vegas, I’m having too much fun for this to end so we are coming back for an encore!”
“Don’t miss The Encore Shows Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace March 12-22 & May 29-June 8! Tickets on sale Monday at 10amPT!”
Though the singer’s Vegas stint was supposed to go on hiatus after the 200th show, Stewart still has more concerts ahead. He’s slated to perform at Harvey’s in Lake Tahoe on Friday, August 9, and at Thunder Valley Casino Resort on the outskirts of Sacramento in Lincoln, California, on Saturday, August 10.
Tickets for both shows are still on sale.
The box office for Stewart’s Friday night show at Lake Tahoe’s Outdoor Arena at Harveys told The Post that the show was still scheduled.
A rep from Thunder Valley Casino, where Stewart is set to perform on Saturday night, told The Post “he hasn’t canceled.” They added that they know he is sick and are in contact with his team.
The Post has reached out to a rep for Stewart.
The rock star has previously spoken about how long he can continue to perform live. Speaking with The Sun in July, Stewart said, “I’m aware my days are numbered but I’ve got no fear.”
“We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket,” he added. “I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can. I say few — probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy.”
But he admitted some things have changed over the years.
“I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that,” he continued.
“Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show. The older you get, the more you have to do that. Water has a hell of a lot to do with it.”
Comparing his past hard-partying ways with how he lives now, he said, “But no, you think I just have water on my rider? You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate. We go mad after every show. There are 13 of us, six women, really great musicians and I make them drink. We absolutely love it.”
This post was originally posted by NYPost
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