Recovering Barry Manilow Ends Second Show of Vegas Comeback After Two Songs

Barry Manilow’s long-anticipated comeback run at the Westgate hit a setback Friday night (Oct. 9), one day after his long‑delayed return to the stage. After performing only two songs, according to Casino.org‘s Vital Vegas, the 83‑year‑old “Copacabana” singer exited early, telling the audience to “talk amongst yourselves.”

The band continued playing briefly before an announcement informed the audience that the show had ended. Fans later reported receiving Ticketmaster emails confirming refunds.

Manilow’s Saturday (Oct. 10) performance was then canceled.

“After a triumphant welcome-back concert on Thursday, Barry got hit with bronchitis and had to cancel his Friday and Saturday shows,” representatives for the musician said in a statement on Saturday (Oct. 10)

During his Thursday concert, which marked Manilow’s first appearance after a six-week break following his Aug. 22 show, he seemed in good health and spirits.

“I’m having a good time with you guys,” he told the assembled “Fanilows,” as seen in this fan video shared by TMZ. “This is our first time back in a long time. I had some medical problems, but I’m back!”

He then bent down to pick up two pairs of underwear tossed on stage.

“You want me to send this to the laundry or something?” he joked.

Manilow had been continuing his recovery from lung cancer, a diagnosis he publicly revealed in December 2025. At the time, he said an MRI found a cancerous spot on his left lung after six weeks of bronchitis and a five-week relapse.

Doctors described it as early-stage (stage one) and he had surgery to remove it immediately.

Multiple Delays

Manilow’s residency at the Westgate’s International Theater was initially set to resume on Feb. 12, 2026. Then the singer announced its postponement until March, after his surgery. In May, he then shared that while he’d been making “great progress” in his recovery, his doctor advised that he still wasn’t “quite ready” to return, forcing another delay.

The latest setback mirrors his performance of Aug. 20, 2026, when Manilow left the stage after roughly 40 minutes. That early exit was attributed to technical difficulties involving the show’s audio and video systems. Manilow then canceled two additional performances, with his representatives citing “technical and vocal problems.”

Manilow ultimately postponed nine more Westgate shows, saying he had pushed himself too hard after performing 29 concerts in 68 days.

As of this writing, tickets are still on sale for Manilow’s show on Thursday (Oct. 15).