Rod Stewart gives crucial health update ahead of planned Glastonbury performance

13 May 2025, 13:15

Rod Stewart is banned from talking to protect his voice ahead of Glastonbury.

Rod Stewart is no stranger to playing absolutely massive concerts.

As well as countless headline performances at some of the largest arenas and stadiums across the planet, he also played the biggest live show in history on Copacabana Beach on New Year's Eve in 1994.

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Sir Rod headlined the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival back in 2002, and he's returning again on Sunday this year to play the coveted Legends' Slot.

Stewart has played thousands of live shows across his remarkable career, but now he's into his 80s, that schedule runs the risk of taking its toll on his already raspy voice.

Poor Rod was forced to cancel or postpone a number of shows last August after being diagnosed with the double whammy of strep throat and COVID, and he's doing all he can to protect his voice ahead of his upcoming live dates – Glastonbury included.

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Being a battler and consumate performer, that doesn't mean pulling out of concerts unless he absolutely has to.

It certainly doesn't mean not giving it 100% when he's up there on stage. This is Rod Stewart we're talking about.

But he was spotted after a show at Milan's Unipol Forum on Saturday night with a sign around his neck revealing that was banned from talking out loud after the concert, The Independent reports.

"Sorry. Cannot talk. Having vocal rest," read the sign, lest anyone think Rod was being rude.

While Rod is being careful, he's also not got any plans to hang up his microphone just yet.

But he has signalled that his current dates mark his farewell to "large scale touring", so those of us wanting to hear Rod doing his thing in the flesh will have the pleasure of smaller shows, one-offs or residencies to get our fix.