Rod Stewart says next year will mark his last rock 'n' roll tour forever, but the 81-year-old Grammy winner insists he is not retiring from show business.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee posted the news on Instagram on Monday, framing the dates ahead as one more round rather than a full exit from the stage.
UPI reported that Stewart is calling the run “The Final Encore Tour,” his last rock ‘n’ roll tour after a career that put him in the Hall of Fame in 1994.
He did not dress it up as a quiet fade-out. He told fans he wants them there for the finish.
On Instagram, Stewart wrote:
"Well, here we go... one last time!"
He followed with a direct invite:
"Come and see me on my _The Final Encore Tour_ for one more round of rock 'n' roll. I'm really looking forward to it."
In an accompanying video, Stewart made the line between a final tour and a full retirement clear. The sadness was part of the message. So was the refusal to walk away from the business altogether.
He said:
"After much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour forever, ever."
Then he cut off the rumor mill before it could start.
"I'm not retiring," he added. "But this will be the last rock 'n' roll tour, so I want to thank you for everything you've given me and, hopefully, I've given you something in return."
That split matters. Plenty of aging stars blur “last tour” into a soft goodbye and then soft-pedal what comes next. Stewart drew a brighter line: the rock ‘n’ roll road show ends next year. The career does not.
At 81, he is still selling the work ethic that built the catalog, show up, thank the crowd, and do not pretend the grind is endless when it is not. He also is not asking anyone to hold a funeral for his name while he is still standing.
Tour cities, venues, and a full date list were not part of the announcement as reported. Neither was a separate promoter statement beyond the Instagram post and video. What fans got was the core promise: one more rock ‘n’ roll circuit, billed as the last, from a Grammy winner who says the broader show-business chapter stays open.
For a generation that grew up on his records, the practical takeaway is simple. If you want the big rock tour version of Rod Stewart, next year is the window he just named.
Legends who still honor the ticket-buying public, and who refuse to milk endless “final” runs without saying so, leave the stage the right way.
