Barry Manilow postponed his Lexington, Kentucky, concert less than 45 minutes before he was scheduled to take the stage.
The 83-year-old singer was expected to perform at Rupp Arena at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4th. A message shared through his social media accounts at 6:19 p.m. cited “unforeseen circumstances” but provided no further explanation.
The arena issued its own notice shortly before showtime and told ticket holders that the concert would be rescheduled. Fans who had already traveled to the venue were asked to retain their original tickets.
The abrupt change marked the second postponement of Manilow’s Lexington show, which had originally been scheduled for March while he was recovering from surgery for stage 1 lung cancer.
Fans Learned About the Postponement While Waiting Outside
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“Due to unforeseen circumstances tonight’s show in Lexington has been rescheduled,” Manilow’s team wrote in the announcement. The post added that information about a replacement date would be released later and that previously purchased tickets would remain valid.
Rupp Arena officials shared a separate announcement at approximately 6:54 p.m., six minutes before the scheduled start. Several concertgoers told local station WKYT that they learned about the postponement while waiting in line to enter the building.
The Lexington Concert Had Already Been Postponed Once
The August 4th performance was a replacement for a March 9th concert that was delayed while Manilow continued recovering from lung cancer surgery. Manilow revealed in December 2025 that an MRI ordered after two lengthy bouts of bronchitis had detected a small cancerous area on his left lung.
Doctors diagnosed him with stage 1 lung cancer and surgically removed the affected portion of the lung. He later said the cancer had been discovered early and that doctors did not expect him to need chemotherapy or radiation.
In a March interview with PEOPLE, Manilow discussed rebuilding his voice after the operation and said the diagnosis had forced him to reconsider his life and career.
Manilow’s Wider Concert Schedule Remains in Place
The Lexington date was part of Manilow’s The Last Concerts series, which has been promoted as his final arena appearance in selected cities rather than his retirement from performing. The series includes stops built around songs from his five-decade career, including “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “I Write the Songs.”
Manilow remained scheduled to perform at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on August 5th, followed by concerts in Baltimore, Norfolk, Greensboro, Duluth and Jacksonville.