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Barry Manilow explains why those "final ever UK shows" weren't actually his last

17 October 2025, 01:49

Barry Manilow reveals he never wanted to be a popstar

By Mayer Nissim

Barry Manilow just can't say goodbye to his British fans!

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Barry Manilow has been wowing audiences for over 60 years, from his earliest years in New York clubs to massive arenas around the world.

So it's no surprise that he's started to wind things down a little bit, and two years ago he announced that his 14-date residency at the London Palladium in June 2024 would be his "last full concerts in Britain".

Thankfully though, it turns out that Barry just can't say goodbye to his British fans and he's coming back next summer for some very different shows

Rather than the intimate surroundings of the Palladium, Manilow will be performing to many, many more people with a full arena tour in June 2026 – this time being billed as 'The Last Last Concert' in each venue – finishing up at The O2 in London.

Watch the full interview above

So when Gold Radio sat down with Barry, we asked him just why he went back on his original plans.

"Don't listen to me anymore," he joked.

"I was absolutely convinced that that was going to be the last shows in the UK for me. And then I got home and I said, 'Really? Do you really want to never go back to the UK?'.

"I kept thinking about it and Gary, my manager, said, 'I could probably put together a small tour of the UK, and that would be the last one, instead of it being in one place like the Palladium, which was fantastic. But that was only one gig'.

Barry Manilow | The Last St. Paul Concert Finale (August 2, 2024)

"What I did like was saying goodbye to all of these places that I love so much. So that's why I'm coming back just to say goodbye to all those great areas that I've loved so much."

Barry also remembered the his first concert in the UK and how surprised he was that the show sold out, given his lack of connections here.

"I couldn't believe it," he said. "I'd never been to the UK. I didn't have any relatives there. I didn't have any friends there, and we were sold out.

"That's what I remember, that when we got to the UK, it was already a big deal that I was coming there. It was a big shock to me."

Barry Manilow in concert. Picture: Alamy

He added: "Every time I go there, it's just another big party. It started back in the '70s when 'Copacabana' came out, and it stayed like that.

"It's just a big party night after night. The UK people have been in my corner for all these years, and they're still there for me. I couldn't be more grateful."

The full Barry Manilow 2026 UK arena tour dates are as follows: