Health Worsened After Surgery, Barry Manilow Had to Reschedule His Concert Schedule

JAKARTA - Grammy Award-winning veteran singer Barry Manilow has brought sad news for his fans. The 82-year-old American musician announced a heavy decision to reschedule a number of his concert agendas in 2026.

This was done because his physical condition had not fully recovered after the stage one lung cancer surgery he underwent in mid-January.

Through a post on his social media, the singer of "Copacabana" revealed that he had just met his plastic surgeon to evaluate his readiness to return to the stage.

Unfortunately, the results of the meeting were not in line with his expectations that he would immediately greet fans directly from the stage.

"I am very confident that I will be able to perform at the arena in the next few weeks," Manilow wrote, quoting the caption of the upload, Monday, February 23.

But the medical records say otherwise. His surgeon actually gave a stern warning that forcing himself to perform for a long duration could be fatal for his lung recovery process.

Manilow also recounted how the doctor gave a firm explanation: "Barry, you're not going to be ready to do a 90-minute show. Your lungs aren't ready. You're in a very good condition considering what you've been through, but your body isn't ready. You shouldn't do that first arena show. You won't be able to get through it," Manilow said, imitating the doctor's words.

Although he felt beaten, Manilow admitted that intuitively he had felt a physical limitation that could no longer be denied. He also chose to be realistic for his long-term health.

"Deep down, I want to come back - but my body knows what my heart doesn't want to admit: I'm not ready," he added.

The delay has an impact on the first wave of the 2026 concert schedule which was originally planned to take place from February 27 to March 17. At least 13 show schedules must be rescheduled.

However, there is still hope for fans in Las Vegas. The medical team stated that it was likely that Manilow could return to action on his Las Vegas residency schedule which falls on March 26-28 and April 2-4.

Until now, Barry Manilow's official website still lists a sold-out status for the series of US tours in mid-to-late April.

The management promised to provide more information about the replacement date for affected ticket holders.