Barry Manilow's triumphant stage return left in tatters as icon, 83, is forced to cancel show by illness after battle with lung cancer

Barry Manilow's return to the stage has been hit with a setback, with the Daily Mail confirming he has been forced to cancel his Saturday show by a bout of bronchitis.

The 83-year-old - who was a smoker from the age of nine onwards but transitioned to vaping in later years - revealed last December that he was undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous spot on one of his lungs. 

Although his lung cancer is now in remission, the healing process has seen him scrap or postpone several concerts over the course of this year.

After thundering through 29 shows this summer, including a six-city UK arena tour, Manilow had to scrap two dates of his Las Vegas residency The Hits Come Home! in August, and then announced that he was taking time off until October 8.

When the date arrived this Thursday, Manilow hit the stage at the Westgate Las Vegas in a sparkling outfit and crowed: 'I'm back!' as fans threw underwear at him.

However he then ended Friday night's show early and has scuttled the Saturday concert entirely on account of his illness, his representatives told the Daily Mail.

Barry Manilow's return to the stage has been rocked by a setback, with the singer forced to cancel his Saturday night show by a bout of bronchitis; pictured in June

Although his lung cancer is now in remission, the healing process has seen him scrap or postpone several concerts over the course of this year; pictured in June 2025

'After a triumphant welcome-back concert on Thursday, Barry got hit with bronchitis and had to cancel his Friday and Saturday shows,' their statement read.

When he left the stage ahead of schedule on Friday, he managed to wring a bit of levity from the situation, telling the crowd: 'Talk amongst yourselves,' via Deadline.

The previous night's show had proven a coup for Manilow as the delighted audience flung their undergarments onto the stage, prompting the Copacabana hitmaker to joke: 'I feel like I'm a teenage idol again,' in footage obtained by the Daily Mail.

A set of men's boxers was the first to land in front of Manilow, who picked it up and deadpanned: 'You want me to send this to the laundry or something?'

He gingerly handed the item back to its owner, only for someone else to hurl another undergarment at him, this time a pair of bright pink panties.

'Now, you're dancing!' said Manilow, who got a laugh by adding: 'I'll keep this one,' and tucking the garment into a pocket of his bedazzled slacks.

In August, Manilow had to pull out of a concert in Lexington, Kentucky at the last minute under 'unforeseen circumstances' and then scuttled two of his Las Vegas residency dates because of 'technical and vocal problems.'

Days later, he issued a statement informing fans that after the exertion of his road work, including his UK arena shows, he needed to take a 'break' until October.

Manilow hit the stage Thursday night at the Westgate Las Vegas in a characteristically sparkling outfit and crowed: 'I'm back!'; pictured at that show

'We just finished a fantastic summer tour. 29 shows in 68 days. The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard,' he said. 'Now we all need to sit down and shut up.'

Manilow, who has been with his husband Garry Kief since 1978, announced he had stage one lung cancer in late 2025 after concluding a run of Christmas concerts.

The tumor was found after Manilow suffered fortnight-long bouts of bronchitis, prompting his doctor to suggest that he undergo an MRI.

Manilow shared that he was 'going into surgery to have the spot removed. The doctors do not believe it has spread and I'm taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So that's it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.'

He confirmed that he would have to postpone his scheduled January tour dates, but at that point still intended to take the stage in February.

However he ultimately had to delay all his shows from February through mid-March, following a 'very depressing visit' with his surgeon.

Manilow explained that he was still unable to 'sing more than three songs in a row' in spite of the fact he had been 'using the treadmill three times a day,' adding that the doctor said his 'body isn't ready' for the rigors of a 90-minute concert.

Nevertheless, by summer he soldiered through his UK arena tour and several other concerts before another spate of cancelations in August.

Manilow, who has been with his husband Garry Kief since 1978, announced he had stage one lung cancer in late 2025 after concluding a run of Christmas concerts; pictured 2023

The New York City native undertook his summertime road work in support of his 33rd studio album What a Time, which he released this June.

Once Before I Go, the album's lead single, was co-written by the late Australian singer Peter Allen, who died in 1992 at the age of 48 after contracting AIDS.

In an interview this March, Manilow reflected that his cancer had 'really, really made me take stock of my life' and stopped him 'in my tracks,' via People. 

'This made me stop and think about: Have I done what I wanted to do, and have I made people happy? Have I been a good friend? All of those cornball things that I’ve read for all of my life, I started to think about that, too,' he said. 'And the answers are yes. And as a matter of fact, there are more yeses than I ever thought.'