Barry Manilow still writes the songs that make the whole world sing, but he won’t be performing them live for much longer.
The 81-year-old pop legend is headlining a farewell tour called “The Last Concerts” series. And “fan-i-lows”- as his diehard devotees are called- only have a handful of chances left to catch one of the shows.
Manilow says he’ll perform in just a handful of cities around the U.S. “that have been so supportive” during his 52-year-long stellar music career.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories,” Manilow said in a statement. “Each one is special to my touring history.”
Tour stops are as follows:
July 11 – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
July 12 – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
July 14 – Maverik Center, West Valley City, UT
July 15 – ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID
July 16 – Moda Centre, Portland, OR
July 18 – Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
July 19 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Still, the news is emotional for the singer. Manilow told Billboard, “It’s a bittersweet experience for me because I know that I’m not coming back here and [the fans] know I’m not coming back here. And when I finish and I say ‘goodbye’ it is goodbye.“
“I’ve never felt that before. Usually I know that [on] the next tour, I’ll probably come back here. But this time I know I’m not coming back to these cities. I’ve been doing this for so many years, and I’ve done these cities over and over and over, but this is it,” he continued.
Barry Manilow Will Continue to Perform at Las Vegas Residency
That doesn’t mean Barry Manilow is done performing.
“I’m still healthy. I’m strong and I’ve still got my voice and my energy. The night I can’t hit the F natural on ‘Even Now,’ that’s the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it,” he told Billboard.
Manilow, who has been a frequent performer in Las Vegas over the years, announced a lifetime residency last December at his longtime home: the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
According to Billboard, Manilow said in a statement, “It’s been an incredible journey performing at the International Theater… and I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to call Westgate home for the rest of my career.”
In 2024, Manilow set a new Vegas record when he surpassed Elvis Presley’s run of 636 performances in Sin City.
“Barry Manilow is a generational artist and a dear friend,” Westgate Founder & Executive Chairman David Siegel said. “Over the years, we have built a personal and professional relationship that is truly special, and I am honored to offer Barry the opportunity to perform at Westgate for a lifetime.”
Manilow launched his “The Hits Come Home” residency at the Westgate Hotel in 2021. But long before that, he played his first residency at the hotel- then known as the Las Vegas Hilton- from February 2005 to December 2009.
During those years, Manilow had two shows, “Manilow: Music and Passion” and “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits.”
He followed with his “Manilow Paris Las Vegas” at the Paris Hotel & Casino in March 2010, which ran through Dec. 11, 2012.
His current residency dates run through Dec. 13, after which he’ll perform five shows for “Manilow’s A Gift of Love VII” concerts at Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre.
Manilow Is Still Making New Music
The legendary singer hopes to put out one last record, possibly by the end of summer.
The new album would be Barry Manilow’s first since “Night Songs II,” which dropped in 2020.
“This’ll probably be my last album,” he admitted. “I’ve been working on it for a long time…for so long that the style of music has changed. I had to go back and redo [the songs] so they sounded a little more contemporary. I had to take all the strings out, all the background vocals out ‘cause they don’t do that anymore. They don’t use strings and background vocals and all that. Even I heard that it sounded dated, so we had to go back and redo it.”
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Barry Manilow Launches ‘Farewell Tour’