Rod Stewart, 81, sparked concern among concertgoers after telling the crowd he had “nearly f***ing fainted” during a performance in Utah and briefly used an oxygen tank on stage.
The veteran singer was appearing at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City on Friday, June 19, 2026, when audience members noticed he seemed less active than usual during his live show.
Footage later shared by TMZ appeared to show Stewart steadying himself against instruments and barriers at the side of the stage while crew members hurried over with oxygen.
After taking a few deep breaths, he spoke to the audience and addressed what had just happened.
“The show must go on,” he shouted, “I nearly f***ing fainted there. Would you mind if I sit down for this one?”
With West Valley City sitting around 4,300 feet above sea level, the altitude may have contributed to the moment.
Stewart has been on the road with his One Last Time tour, which he has said will be his last large-scale world tour, though he has also stressed that he does not plan to retire from performing altogether.
The incident came just days after Stewart postponed a pair of Red Rocks dates in Colorado at doctors’ request after being told to rest his voice.
He had also pulled out of a scheduled show in San Diego less than an hour before he was due on stage, later explaining that he had been diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection, which resulted in laryngitis.
Earlier in the year, he also called off two Las Vegas dates and shared an apology with fans.
“My apologies to my family of fans. I am on vocal rest as I recover from a sinus infection.
“I look forward to seeing you at a future show at Caesars Palace or on tour this summer.”
Even with those recent cancellations and health issues, Stewart has made clear he is not ready to step away from performing.
In an Instagram post, he said large international tours may be winding down, but retirement is not on his agenda.
“This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love.
“I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 meters in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79.”
In an interview with AARP last year, Stewart also described the training routine he believes has helped him maintain the stamina needed for touring.
“We do a lot of underwater training, where the trainer throws a brick into the pool and I have to dive in, push the brick to the end of the pool, and come up.
“I also played soccer all my life – don’t so much anymore, because I had a knee replacement. And I’ve always had a trainer – same guy for 38 years.”