Rod Stewart used an oxygen tank onstage in Salt Lake City, days after canceling a San Diego show and flying to the World Cup in Boston

Rod Stewart needed an oxygen tank to get through a recent concert in Salt Lake City. This happened only a few days after he canceled a show in California. The 81-year-old singer is currently performing across North America as part of his One Last Time farewell tour, and he appeared to be in serious distress during the concert at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre.

Video from the show, shared by TMZ, shows Stewart bending over and then signaling to his staff for help. After he was given an oxygen tank, he took several deep breaths to steady himself. He later told the crowd that he had nearly fainted during an earlier song.

He also asked the audience if they would mind if he sat down on the steps of the bandstand so he could keep performing. Even though he was clearly struggling physically, he told the crowd that the show must go on, and the audience responded with applause.

A canceled show was followed by a trip to a World Cup match

According to The Daily Mail, this event came after a series of incidents that started on June 11. On that day, Stewart canceled a concert at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheater in Chula Vista, near San Diego. Fans were already lined up outside the venue when his team announced that the show would not happen.

At the time, Stewart’s team said he had been diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection that had turned into laryngitis. Stewart posted a statement on his Instagram page saying he was at the venue while the stage was being taken down, and that although he was feeling better, his voice was not ready for a performance. 

Travel to World Cup matches has drawn its own complaints, including over NJ Transit’s $150 World Cup fare for a short ride to a venue. The situation caused a strong reaction when, less than 24 hours later, Stewart shared a video on Instagram showing himself and his sons, Alastair and Liam, on a private jet headed to Boston. 

He was then seen in the crowd at a FIFA World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti. The match took place during a tournament stretch when Boston bars reportedly ran out of beer, with one nationality of fans supposedly behind the shortage. 

Stewart began his farewell tour in 2024 and has talked before about wanting to slow down. In a recent radio interview, he said he had about 40 shows planned for the year and suggested that his upcoming UK tour would likely be his last.