Sir Rod Stewart will return to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro next year as part of what he says will be the final tour of his remarkable six-decade live career.
The 81-year-old singer has announced The Final Encore, a major UK and European arena tour beginning in April 2027, with a Glasgow show confirmed for Thursday, 29 April.
Stewart said: “After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last.”
The tour will open at Dublin’s 3Arena on 23 April before visiting Belfast on 27 April and Glasgow two days later. It will then head to Birmingham, Manchester and London before continuing through Europe, with the currently announced run ending in Hannover on 24 July.
Rod Stewart was the first artist to perform at Hydro when it opened on 30 September 2013, beginning a four-night run which officially launched the £125 million venue on the banks of the Clyde.
Stewart subsequently returned to the Hydro several times, most recently for shows on 29 November and 3 December 2022.
Ahead of those concerts he spoke about the strength of his connection to Scotland, telling STV: “When I play Glasgow, I feel like I could walk on water.”
Stewart was born in London but his father Robert was from Leith in Edinburgh, and the singer has maintained close links with Scotland throughout his career. He is also one of Celtic’s most famous supporters and has regularly attended matches at Celtic Park.
The Final Encore is being billed as a celebration of the songs which have made Stewart one of the world’s biggest-selling recording artists.
The planned set includes Maggie May, You Wear It Well, Tonight’s the Night, Hot Legs, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Young Turks, Baby Jane, Forever Young, You’re in My Heart, Rhythm of My Heart, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Sailing and Have I Told You Lately.
Stewart’s career began in the 1960s and included spells with the Jeff Beck Group and Faces before he established himself as one of the biggest solo artists of the 1970s.
He has sold an estimated 250 million records and singles worldwide, achieved 31 UK Top 10 singles and 11 UK number one albums, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – as a solo artist and as a member of Faces. His most recent UK number one album was Swing Fever, his 2024 collaboration with Jools Holland.
Stewart was knighted in 2016 for services to music and charity.
While The Final Encore is being described as his last tour, Stewart has not announced his retirement from performing altogether. The farewell is specifically to life on the road.
Tickets for Rod Stewart at the OVO Hydro are due to go on general sale at 10am on Friday, 2 October. A fan club presale begins on Tuesday, 29 September, with additional presales taking place before the general sale.