Rod Stewart's concert at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center was postponed just hours before he was set to take the stage Sunday, after the 81-year-old rocker required an unforeseen minor medical procedure requiring immediate attention. Venue officials say Stewart is expected to recover quickly, and tickets already purchased will be honored once a new date is set.
The postponement was announced according to WKRC, which reported that Riverbend Music Center notified fans of the last-minute change. Singer-songwriter Richard Marx had been scheduled as the special guest opening act, with his set slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. before Stewart took over for the headlining performance, according to Riverbend Music Center. Venue operators say they plan to reschedule the concert and will share more details on Tuesday, August 11.
A Pattern of Setbacks on the Farewell Tour
Sunday's postponement is the latest in a string of disruptions that have hit Stewart's “One Last Time” farewell tour throughout 2026. Just four days earlier, on August 5, he had to reschedule a show at OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, after an aircraft mechanical fault grounded his flight, according to Parade. That Niagara Falls show has since been moved to March 2027.
The Cincinnati postponement also echoes an incident closer to home for Hoodline readers. Back in June, Stewart abruptly scrapped a Chula Vista show roughly 40 minutes before showtime after developing a sinus infection, with thousands of fans already inside the venue when it was called off. In late May, he had also canceled two residency performances at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — the May 29 and May 30 shows — after doctors advised complete vocal rest due to another sinus infection, as previously reported by Hoodline.
Health History Adds Context for Fans
Stewart, who turned 81 in January, has a long personal history with health scares that have occasionally intersected with his touring schedule. He survived thyroid cancer following surgery in 2000, a procedure that required him to relearn his vocal technique, according to SurvivorNet. He also completed treatment for prostate cancer following a private three-year battle that he publicly revealed in 2019.
The pattern of respiratory and vocal setbacks isn't new, either. In August 2024, Stewart was forced to cancel his 200th Las Vegas residency performance after contracting strep throat, which was immediately followed by a COVID-19 infection, according to the Daily Record. Despite the string of cancellations this year, Stewart has publicly maintained that he is not retiring, framing the “One Last Time” tour — launched in 2024 and extended in late 2025 with 15 additional North American dates — as a shift toward smaller venues and Great American Songbook projects rather than a full exit from performing.
What Riverbend Ticket Holders Should Know
Riverbend Music Center, which opened along the Ohio River in 1984, holds a total capacity of 20,500 across roughly 6,000 pavilion seats and 14,500 general admission lawn spots, according to background compiled from the venue's history. It's owned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and operated by its live entertainment subsidiary, Music and Event Management, Inc., which runs several major venues across the region, per Movers & Makers.
The venue's footprint is also set to change in the coming months. Cincinnati City Council approved $8 million in funding this spring toward the new $160 million Farmer Music Center, a 20,000-capacity amphitheater rising on the former Coney Island site right next to Riverbend, with an opening slated for spring 2027 — a project Hoodline covered when the council funding came through. Once the new venue opens, Riverbend is expected to shift toward festival-style use.
For now, fans holding tickets to Sunday's postponed show don't need to do anything; their tickets will carry over to whatever rescheduled date is announced. Riverbend has said it will share more information on the new concert date Tuesday.
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