Barry Manilow abruptly canceled his Lexington, Kentucky concert on Tuesday night just before it was due to begin, saying the show had been rescheduled for “unforeseen circumstances.”
He posted the notice on X, where he wrote that tonight’s show in Lexington had been rescheduled. No other explanation followed, leaving ticket holders with little more than a last-minute change and a new layer of uncertainty around a performance that had already been delayed once before.
The reason readers are searching now is simple: this was not the first time the Lexington date had moved. Manilow had originally been set to perform at Rupp Arena in Lexington on March 9, but that concert was postponed while he underwent treatment for lung cancer. The singer, 83, later said tests confirmed stage 1 lung cancer and that he had surgery to remove part of his lung, then spent seven days in the ICU as he recovered.
That earlier delay gives Tuesday night’s cancellation a sharper edge. Manilow has spoken openly about how the diagnosis changed his view of his work and health, and he has credited a doctor with saving his life after hearing about repeated bouts of bronchitis and ordering a scan of his lungs. In March, he said the scan found the small spot that led to the diagnosis, and that he had to reckon with the fact that part of him had been taken out.
What makes the Lexington move harder to read is the gap between the wording and the timing. “Unforeseen circumstances” can cover almost anything, but no detail was offered, and no new date for Lexington was given. That leaves the show in limbo even as Manilow continues performing elsewhere, including at the Moda Center in Portland on Wednesday, where the appearance was billed as his final performance in Portland.
For now, the only firm answer is that Lexington lost the show minutes before curtain time, and fans still do not know whether they are waiting for a delay, a replacement date, or something else entirely.
