Sir Rod Stewart cancelled a concert in California at the last minute due to illness, before being spotted at the World Cup watching Scotland v Haiti the following day
Sir Rod Stewart has confessed it wasn’t a “good look” to cancel his gig and then attend a World Cup game 24 hours later. The legendary rocker, 81, was due to perform in San Diego, California earlier this month on his One Last Time Tour, but pulled out just hours before.
At the time, a statement said Sir Rod had travelled to the venue in Chula Vista and that medics advised him not to proceed with the performance as he needed time to rest. Doctors had diagnosed Sir Rod with an acute upper respiratory infection, which later resulted in laryngitis, meaning he was unable to sing.
But the very next day, he was spotted in the stands at Boston Stadium watching Scotland secure a victory against Haiti in the World Cup 2026. Sir Rod also shared a video on Instagram revealing that he and his sons, model Alastair, 20, and ice hockey player, Liam, 31, travelled on a private jet to the game.
During an appearance on talkSPORT’s White and Jordon, Sir Rod opened up about the incident and his ill health. Host Jim asked if Sir Rod was feeling ok, after he was seen using an oxygen tank on stage in Utah last week.
He said: “No, I got an awful… I really shouldn’t have gone to the Haiti game. You know, I had to cancel a show the night before because I just had no voice left.
“But the truth is, Jim, I wasn’t going to let my two sons down.” Explaining his reason, he continued: “I promised them since they were born that we were going to go to a World Cup. And this is the first one that’s come about. And it wasn’t a good look, I admit, but I’m going to have to just take the stick. So I did it for the boys.”
“Here we are off to see Scotland in the World Cup. It’s been 28 years. And these kids, I’ve told them about it but they’ve never been,” said Sir Rod.
“I’ve been to seven World Cups,” added the singer. “We want to get through to the next round and I’ll die a happy man. So go on, Scotland!” he bellowed as his sons joined in his rallying cry.
During the show where he used an oxygen tank, Sir Rod took a break backstage and when he returned, he told the crowd he had “nearly f****ng fainted” but vowed “the show must go on”. After making some jokes, he asked fans if they would mind if he performed his next hit sitting on steps on the stage, before finishing the show in a chair.
After cancelling his San Diego gig due to laryngitis, Rod had told fans he was “feeling better, but his voice was not.” In his own statement he shared: “I’m very disappointed and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans.
“I did everything I could to make the show happen tonight, but unfortunately it just wasn’t possible. I will do my utmost to reschedule.” This was followed by a photo of standing on stage at the empty North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.
This weekend, he will headline Legends Day at Rock in Rio Lisboa, in Lisbon, Portugal, alongside the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Joss Stone.
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