Rock Legend's Final Bow
Rod Stewart Concludes Six-Decade Career with Electrifying Farewell Performance at Hollywood Bowl
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At 81 years old, Rod Stewart said goodbye to the Hollywood Bowl on June 10 — and the packed crowd of 18,000 fans made sure he felt every bit of it. Daily News reported the rock legend opened with his 1984 hit "Infatuation" and never let up, powering through a 25-song, two-hour set that capped six decades of stadium glory.
Stewart was clear that this was not a retirement. "This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire," he said, according to OC Register. His plan is to move toward smaller, more intimate shows built around the Great American Songbook.
A Two-Hour Set Built From Six Decades of Hits
Stewart kicked off the show with "Infatuation" and worked through 25 songs in roughly 120 minutes. The setlist included "Some Guys Have All the Luck," "Maggie May," "Forever Young," and a three-song tribute to his classic album *Every Picture Tells a Story*. He closed the encore with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" SB Sun described the crowd as a "choir," belting out every lyric alongside him.
Grammy-winning artist Richard Marx joined as a special guest. Tickets ranged from $56 for promenade seats to more than $350 for premium boxes, according to Press Enterprise. The sold-out crowd skewed heavily toward baby boomers and Gen X fans who have followed Stewart for decades.
Stewart's Hollywood Bowl History Stretches Back to 1972
Stewart first played the Hollywood Bowl in September 1972. That makes this farewell show the closing chapter of a 54-year relationship with the iconic Los Angeles venue. He also performed there in 2019, in a reunion show with the late Jeff Beck, according to Whittier Daily News.
The June 10 date was not part of the original tour plan. Live Nation added it in November 2025 due to high demand, Daily Breeze reported. The "One Last Time" world tour has ranked among the Top 20 global concert tours of 2025 and 2026 by box office revenue.
A Pivot to Smaller Shows, Not a Full Stop
Stewart sold his song catalog — including "Maggie May" and "Stay With Me" — to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group for nearly $100 million in 2024. His hits will live on through licensing even as he steps away from large-scale touring. UK arena dates planned for 2027 may be his final run on the road entirely, OC Register noted.
He has said he wants to trade the stadium spectacle for something closer and quieter. "I'd like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour — smaller venues and more intimacy," he told reporters. His recent album *Swing Fever*, a collaboration with Jools Holland, hit No. 1 in the UK, signaling fans are ready to follow him there.
Critics Praise Energy, Some Fans Note the Changed Voice
Reviews of the "One Last Time" tour have been warm. Critics praised Stewart's "rollicking charm" and "spirit-raising showmanship," according to Daily News. At 81, he has sold more than 250 million records worldwide and has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Not everyone was without reservation. Some fans online noted that Stewart's voice has deepened into a rougher rasp and that band solos give him needed breaks during the set. Still, the overwhelming response from fans at the Hollywood Bowl was clear: this was the kind of night people will talk about for years.
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