Art Garfunkel has explained why his UK tour was pulled at the last minute. The 84-year-old says he has a respiratory infection, and that his doctor has ordered him to rest. “My heart is broken that I must postpone these performances,” he said in a statement reported on Friday, October 9.
The four shows were due to begin in less than a week. Fans who had been left guessing since the dates were first pulled now at least have a reason, along with a reassurance: Garfunkel says he is in good hands and expects to be fine.
From “unforeseen circumstances” to a diagnosis
The postponement itself was announced a day earlier. On October 8, MNPR Magazine reported that organisers had called off the UK leg of his What a Wonderful World tour due to “unforeseen circumstances,” with no further explanation. The shows affected were:
- October 13, Watford Colosseum
- October 15, Manchester Opera House
- October 17, Wolverhampton, The Halls
- October 19, London, Royal Albert Hall
The vague wording was enough to worry fans, and the explanation followed within a day. According to Parade, Garfunkel said he had almost put off a doctor’s appointment while he was busy rehearsing, and that his wife, Kim, insisted he keep it. That appointment is where the infection was found, and where he was told to rest.
He asked fans not to worry about him, and said he would be back on stage as soon as his health allows and the theaters can offer new dates. Ticket holders have been told to hold on to their tickets, which will be valid for the rescheduled shows, according to Female First. No new dates have been announced yet.
Not the first cancellation this fall
The UK dates are not the only ones to fall through. Far Out Magazine reports that Garfunkel canceled a San Francisco show on September 25, two days before it was due to happen, and later postponed shows in Arizona and Los Angeles. By that outlet’s account, his most recent full concert was in June, at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio.
It is worth being careful about how those earlier cancellations are read. Far Out says they were put down to the same vague “unforeseen circumstances” wording. Neither Garfunkel nor his team has publicly linked them to the respiratory infection, and his statement this week addresses only the UK shows. Coverage also varies in tone: Far Out’s headline says he “abruptly cancels” the tour, while his own statement and the other reports describe a postponement, with the dates to be rescheduled.
A big year that hit a wall
The setback comes in what had been shaping up as one of Garfunkel’s busiest years in a long time. The What a Wonderful World Celebration Concerts were billed as his return to major international stages after an extended break, with dates spanning the United States, the UK, France, Germany and Japan, according to MNPR Magazine. The tour was announced after a well-received appearance during Grammy weekend in Los Angeles at the end of January.
In May he turned up at Madison Square Garden as a guest of Charlie Puth, singing “The Boxer,” one of the songs that made Simon & Garfunkel one of the best-selling duos in history. The partnership with Paul Simon, which produced “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” has been famously on and off for more than 50 years, but Garfunkel’s voice has always been the one that soared on those records.
He has also been outspoken this year. Female First notes that he told The Guardian earlier in 2026 that he was considering leaving the US, saying he did not like the country’s position, and that he criticized the US military operation in Venezuela.
What happens next
For now, the next step is the simplest one: rest. Garfunkel has not given a timeline for his recovery, and the promoters have not said when the UK shows will be rebooked. The Royal Albert Hall date in particular was a marquee night for the tour, and fans who bought tickets for any of the four shows will need to watch for announcements from the venues.
At 84, any time off the road for a performer draws attention, and the shift from a one-line “unforeseen circumstances” notice to a personal statement seems designed to calm that down. His own words were plain enough. He is disappointed, he is following his doctor’s orders, and he expects to be just fine.
