- Lionel Richie was forced to cut short his concert during his new tour.
- He was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in St Paul as part of the Sing a Song All Night Long with Earth, Wind & Fire.
- Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are currently on a major tour together
Veteran singer-songwriter Lionel Richie was forced to cut short his concert after falling ill on stage during the opening night of his new tour.
The 77-year-old was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in St Paul as part of the "Sing a Song All Night Long" tour with Earth, Wind & Fire when he began feeling unwell about 55 minutes into the show, according to Bring Me The News.
Richie told the crowd that he was feeling dizzy and "strange." He even performed his energetic hit "Dancing on the Ceiling" while sitting on a step on the stage, telling fans that he had never sung the song sitting down before.
"When you're feeling dizzy, sit your a** down," he joked with the audience.
After sitting for less than 10 seconds, he got back up and tried to continue the performance. However, within about 30 seconds, he stopped again and sat down on another set of stage risers on the opposite side of the stage, according to The Daily Mail.
BREAKING: Lionel Ritchie concert in St Paul at Grand Casino Arena canceled mid-show. Ritchie sat down on stage during “Dancing on the Ceiling”, said he felt dizzy. Performed one more song at piano, “Three Times a Lady”, then announced unplanned intermission. Did not return. pic.twitter.com/RNalkYHnmG
— Patrick Kessler (@PatKessler) June 25, 2026
As he just finished performing his hit song Three Times a Lady, he unexpectedly told the audience that there would be an intermission. Fans initially believed the break would be temporary.
Richie's five band members remained on stage for around 15 minutes before quietly leaving without any explanation. Soft, recorded music continued to play through the arena speakers as the audience waited for updates, according to The Star Tribune.
Fans initially expected the concert to resume after a few minutes. However, more than 40 minutes later, a member of Richie's team returned to the stage and informed the audience that the singer would not be able to continue the performance because he was feeling unwell.
"Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well," saxophonist Dino Soldo said. "He won't be able to continue. Additional information will be available."
Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are currently on a major concert tour together. The tour is planned to cover 26 cities across the United States and is scheduled to continue until August 14. The next scheduled concert is at the United Center in Chicago on June 26.
