After postponing his planned 2026 arena tour and delaying his February residency shows in Las Vegas in the wake of lung cancer surgery last December, Barry Manilow, 83, was primed to return to the stage this weekend in Sin City to perform his hits once again.
But the planned gigs at Westgate Las Vegas were waved off after technical issues halted his show on Thursday night (Aug. 20) just 40 minutes into that gig during a performance of his 1978 Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Can’t Smile Without You,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Manilow then announced more bad news to fans in an Instagram post that read: “We’re very sorry but we have to cancel tonight’s (Friday) and tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) performances. Due to technical and vocal problems, we’re unable to put on our show.”
At press time no additional information was available on what specific issues scuttled the shows and a spokesperson for the singer had not returned Billboard‘s request for more information on the reported technical snafu. The Instagram post noted that refunds will automatically be processed at the point of purchase.
Manilow was slated to take the stage for his The Hits Come Home residency at the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas last Thursday through Saturday (Aug. 20-22). And while those shows were pulled due to the reported technical glitches, at press time, Manilow is still booked to play the theater this weekend (Aug. 27-29). The “Copacabana” singer also has six shows booked for September, as well as multiple weekends in October, November and December.
Last week’s call-off was similar to the last-minute cancellation due to “unforeseen circumstances” of Manilow’s show at Lexington, Kentucky’s Rupp Arena on Aug. 4, which was the second time that gig, originally scheduled for March 9, was postponed.
Manilow underwent treatment for stage 1 lung cancer in December in which he had surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung. As a result, he pushed back his planned February Las Vegas residency dates, as well as his scheduled February, March and April arena shows on doctor’s advice to rest.
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