Lewis Capaldi has announced that he’s canceling all of his tour dates for the foreseeable future – including appearances in Australia, Asia, and Europe through the end of the year – while he tends to his mental health. Last September, the singer revealed that he had been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a nervous system disorder that sometimes manifests itself as physical tics while Capaldi is singing. In an Instagram statement, the performer wrote that his Saturday gig at the U.K.’s Glastonbury festival was a wake-up call.
“I’m very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future,” he wrote. “I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped three weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s, and on Saturday, it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.
“I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can’t,” he continued, “and I’d like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more so during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever.”
Capaldi, who released his second album, Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent, a month ago, was scheduled to perform on Wednesday at Zürich, Switzerland’s Hallenstadion. A date in Wales followed by gigs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, and South Korea were scheduled to round out July. Capaldi had a smattering of U.K. and European dates planned for August.
“I’m so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve,” he wrote. “Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.”
Capaldi’s tics forced him to stop singing while performing “Someone You Loved” at Glastonbury. The audience gamely took over and finished the song while he coped.
hi x pic.twitter.com/qK8zxTD5IS
— Lewis Capaldi (@LewisCapaldi) June 27, 2023
From Rolling Stone US
