Barry Manilow Hits Pause on Las Vegas Residency After Gruelling Summer Run
Barry Manilow is taking a break from his Las Vegas residency at the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas, telling fans he has been "pushing too hard" and needs to stop before returning on October 8. The 83-year-old announced the hiatus on August 25 via Instagram, writing: "Now we all need to sit down and shut up. So we're going to take a break until we return to the Westgate Las Vegas on October 8th." Billboard
The break cancels residency shows scheduled for the weekend of August 27–29, along with six September dates — the 17th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 25th and 26th. Manilow said new Westgate dates will be announced the week following his August 25 statement, according to Billboard.
The decision follows a punishing schedule. Manilow completed a summer tour of 29 shows in 68 days before announcing the pause. His August 20 return show at Westgate was called off just before curtain, with that weekend's Friday and Saturday gigs also cancelled due to reported technical and vocal problems. A show in Lexington, Kentucky, was postponed just before curtain on August 4, cited as "unforeseen circumstances." RTE
The residency disruptions stretch back further. In December, Manilow had surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung after a stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis. The recovery from that procedure led him to postpone his planned 2026 arena tour, delay February 2025 Las Vegas residency dates, and later postpone May residency dates as well. He rescheduled his February 12–21, 2026 Westgate shows ahead of the arena tour launch, his official website confirmed. BarryManilow.com
For a performer who has been touring for more than five decades, the pattern of postponements and cancellations is unusual — and the directness of the statement is striking. Manilow did not cite a specific medical reason for this break, but framed it as a matter of pacing himself after a dense summer run. "Pushing too hard" were his words.
Westgate Las Vegas has already announced new 2026 dates for the residency, and Manilow has added Northeast stops to his arena tour. That tour, when it launches, will also celebrate local music educators across the U.S., per his official site. His most recent album, "What a Time," is listed on his website.
For fans holding tickets to the cancelled August and September shows, the wait for rescheduled dates should be short — Manilow's team said to expect announcements within the week. For now, the Westgate stage goes dark for roughly six weeks, and one of pop's most relentless road warriors is finally sitting down.
