Steven Van Zandt Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss Upcoming E Street Band Shows

Steven Van Zandt is recovering from an emergency surgery and will sit out several upcoming shows with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as he recuperates.

The longtime guitarist and “Little Steven” bandleader shared the news via X on Monday (June 23), revealing that what initially felt like food poisoning turned out to be appendicitis. He was treated in San Sebastián, Spain, following a show in the city and praised the medical team for their swift care.

“Got a sharp pain in my stomach, thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis. Got lucky with an exceptional hospital in San Sebastian,” Van Zandt wrote. “The operation was a complete success.”

Springsteen and the E Street Band are in the midst of a European stadium run, with the next stop scheduled for Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Friday (June 27), followed by back-to-back dates at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on June 30 and July 3.

“I’m hoping to get back on stage for at least one of the shows in Milan,” Van Zandt added. “Thank you all for all the good vibes. See you soon.”

The guitarist last performed onstage with Springsteen in San Sebastián on Tuesday (June 24). No formal announcement has been made regarding a fill-in, though the band has adjusted their lineup in the past to accommodate health-related absences.

Springsteen and the E Street Band continue their 2025 world tour through Europe this summer before returning to North America later in the year.

In other Springsteen-related news, the Boss will soon be dropping Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, an 83-track collection to be released on June 27 through Sony Music, which will “fill in rich chapters of Springsteen’s expansive career timeline — while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist.”

In a statement in April, Springsteen said, “The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released. I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.”

The box will include the lo-fi LA Garage Sessions ’83, described as a “crucial link” between the bare-bones Nebraska and the full-throated Born in the U.S.A., as well as the drum loop and synthesizer experimentation for the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions. The project covering the years 1983-2018 is a peek into 35 years of home recording and songwriting that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said provides insight into work that no one has heard before.