Rod Stewart nearly faints on stage in Utah, receives oxygen mask before finishing concert seated

Incident on stage

Rod Stewart was performing "Young Turks" at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City on Friday evening when he began to feel unwell. Video footage shows the 81-year-old leaning on instruments and stage equipment to steady himself, then bending forward in visible discomfort. A member of his crew brought an oxygen bottle with a mask from backstage, and Stewart inhaled deeply as the audience applauded. He later turned to the crowd and said:

The show must go on, I almost fainted. Do you mind if I sit down for this song?

After the audience cheered, Stewart completed the remainder of the set seated on a chair. He also joked during the performance, according to a separate account:

I tried to give you some dance moves and damn near fainted.

West Valley City sits at an altitude of about 1 400 metres, and reports noted that the elevation may have contributed to the episode. The singer had travelled to the venue after a string of recent health setbacks.

Health setbacks and cancellations

Earlier in June, Stewart postponed several dates of his Las Vegas residency on his doctor’s advice, citing the need for rest while recovering from flu. Less than a week later, his team announced the cancellation of four concerts and the postponement of two more in Nevada and California, attributing the decisions to an acute respiratory infection that had caused laryngitis. The singer wrote on Instagram that he was "devastated" and sincerely apologised. On 12 June, a concert in San Diego was called off; organisers said he had sinusitis, while Stewart himself referred to a respiratory infection with subsequent laryngitis. The next day, he was seen at a World Cup match in Boston between Scotland and Haiti, which raised questions about his condition.

Tour continues

The incident in Utah is part of Stewart’s current US tour, billed as "One Last Time." The final concert of the run is scheduled for 15 August in St. Louis. Despite the health scares, Stewart has repeatedly expressed his intention to keep performing. Addressing the audience after the oxygen incident, he made it clear that, for him, the show must go on.