Sir Rod Stewart postpones two US shows after developing Covid-19

Sir Rod Stewart has postponed two more US shows after contracting a “summer strain of Covid-19”.

The veteran musician, 79, announced on his Instagram that he would no longer be able to make his Friday show in Stateline, Nevada and his Saturday show in Lincoln, California.

It comes after the London-born performer cancelled his 200th residency celebration show in Las Vegas earlier this week due to a bout of the bacterial infection strep throat.

A statement posted to Sir Rod’s Instagram said: “We regret to announce that tonight’s Rod Stewart concert in Stateline, NV and his August 10 show in Lincoln, CA have been postponed, as the singer recovers from a summer strain of Covid-19.

“The Lincoln, CA concert at Thunder Valley Casino will now be on August 18 and his concert at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Stateline, NV concert will now be August 20.”

The shows are part of the singer’s North American tour, with the next performances scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Saratoga, California.

He is also due to play four more dates across the US before moving to Europe for a performance in Spain on December 15 and one in Denmark for December 18.

Sir Rod is scheduled to return to the US for two dates in February before he closes out his residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with a string of performances between March and June.

Hours before what was meant to be his last show at the venue, the singer said he was “desperately sorry” as he cancelled due developing strep throat.

In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me.

“I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve been looking forward to this concert for so long.

“My deepest regrets for any inconvenience this has caused. Thankfully we’ll now be returning in 2025 and I hope to see you all there.”

According to the NHS, a strep infection can mean patients having a sore throat, a rash, nausea and vomiting and muscle aches. It is often not a serious illness and can be treated with antibiotics.

The singer premiered his show, titled Rod Stewart: The Hits, at the classic Las Vegas venue in 2011.

Hours before what was due to be his 200th performance, he announced he would be returning to Sin City for a series of encore shows next spring.

Alongside a video of him performing at the venue shared to Instagram, the veteran rock star wrote: “Vegas, I’m having too much fun for this to end so we are coming back for an encore!

“Don’t miss The Encore Shows Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace March 12-22 & May 29-June 8!”

The high-energy show sees him perform hits from across his five-decade career including You Wear It Well, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy, Tonight’s The Night and Hot Legs.

Sir Rod is a member of the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.