Rod Stewart canceled a concert in California on Friday night and then boarded a private jet the following morning to fly across the country to watch Scotland play in the FIFA World Cup, drawing sharp criticism from fans.
The 81-year-old singer called off his scheduled show at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California, just 40 minutes before it was set to begin, according to Fox News. The event's producer, Live Nation, said the concert was canceled because Stewart had a recurrence of a sinus infection. Stewart's team later told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the singer was suffering from an acute upper respiratory infection that led to laryngitis.
Stewart apologized in posts to his Instagram Stories on Friday night, including a photo of himself on the empty Chula Vista stage as crew members dismantled the set around him. "Well, here I am in beautiful Chula Vista as the stage is being taken down around me. Following treatment, I'm feeling much better, but my voice is not," he wrote, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I'm very disappointed and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans. I did everything I could to make the show happen tonight, but unfortunately it just wasn't possible. I will do my utmost to reschedule."
On Saturday, Stewart posted a video from his private jet showing him traveling with his sons Liam, 31, and Alastair, 20. "Me and the boys off to Boston to see our Scotland in the World Cup! No Scotland no party," he wrote in the caption. In the clip, Stewart noted that Scotland's appearance marked the country's first World Cup since 1998. "It's been 28 years, so these kids, I've told them about it but they've never been," he said. "I've been to seven World Cups."
Stewart and his sons were later photographed watching Scotland play Haiti from the stands at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He was seen smiling, cheering, and enjoying what appeared to be beverages during the match.
The appearance sparked immediate backlash from fans in the comments section of his post. "This feels rather disingenuous, especially after your cancellation last night. Too ill to perform but okay to fly across the country for soccer?" one Instagram user wrote.
Stewart did address his Scotland fandom directly in the jet video, expressing hope for the team's run in the tournament. "So we want them to get through to the next round and I'll die a happy man," he said. "That would be great. C'mon Scotland!"
The Scotland match was the country's first World Cup appearance since the 1998 tournament in France. Stewart has said he has attended seven World Cups over the course of his life. No rescheduled date for the Chula Vista concert has been announced.
