Barry Manilow’s Vegas Comeback Stalls as Bronchitis Strikes

Barry Manilow finally made it back to the Las Vegas stage this week, ending a months‑long saga of postponed dates that began when he postponed his Westgate residency from May to July and then to October while recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his lung.

He opened the residency on Thursday with a triumphant, hiccup‑free set that reminded fans why his music has endured for five decades. The audience sang along to “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” and for a moment it seemed the comeback was smooth sailing.

But the very next night the singer’s voice betrayed him. After just two songs, Manilow stopped the concert, apologizing to the crowd and citing a sudden, severe case of bronchitis. The unexpected illness forced the show to be cut short, and a day later his team announced the cancellation of Saturday’s performance as well.

“Barry was hit with bronchitis after a great Thursday show, so we had to cancel Friday and Saturday,” a spokesperson told Variety. The canceled dates will be rescheduled, and the residency is still slated to run through April 2027 with shows booked for October 15‑17.

Bronchitis isn’t new to Manilow; a few years back a particularly nasty bout led doctors to discover stage 1 lung cancer, which he successfully had removed. In a 2025 interview he recalled battling six weeks of bronchitis, a relapse, and the subsequent MRI that caught the tumor early—a “stroke of luck,” he called it.

Fans are understandably disappointed, but many have expressed support on social media, wishing him a swift recovery. Manilow has thanked everyone for their patience and promised to return to the stage as soon as his health allows.