Barry Manilow Is Back on the Westgate Stage After a Six-Week Hiatus

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 — The hits came home. Barry Manilow walked back onto the International Theater stage at Westgate Las Vegas on Thursday night, ending a six-week hiatus from his record-breaking residency, and he did it the way only he could — with a joke, a promise, and a crowd that clearly never wanted him to leave. The 83-year-old singer, who has been recovering from lung cancer, told the audience he was having a good time with them, "I'm having a good time with you guys!" he told the crowd, as Page Six reported. "This is the first time back in a long time. I have some medical problems, but I'm back!" he said, according to Page Six. The fans roared. Then they started throwing underwear at him, just like the ’70s.

The nightLaundry jokes, pink underwear, and a teenage idol

Manilow was, by every account, in his element. When the fans revived the old tradition of tossing undergarments at the stage — a ritual dating back to his ’70s heyday — he played along. "You want me to send this to the laundry or something?" he joked while picking up a pair, as reported by Page Six. And when a bright pink pair landed onstage, he said "I'll keep this," pretending to slip the fabric into his pocket, Page Six reported. The U.K. edition of The Sun, which also covered the return, noted that he told the crowd "God, I feel like I'm a teenage idol again," visibly overjoyed to be back in front of an adoring audience.

He is scheduled to take the stage again Friday evening, per both Page Six and The Sun — Oct. 9 kicking off the full fall run at the theater he has called his home away from home.

The road backSix weeks off after a grueling summer

The hiatus was deliberate. Manilow wrapped a bruising summer run — 29 shows in just 68 days across the U.K. and the U.S., including stops in Ohio, Florida, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff, Birmingham and London, according to The Sun — and then told fans he was stepping off the stage. His last show was Aug. 22. In an Instagram post, he said the pace had been too much and that the crew needed to sit down and rest, with the plan to return to Westgate on Oct. 8, as Page Six reported. He promised fans he'd come back at full voice.

Behind the break is a longer health story he has been open about. Manilow revealed in December 2025 that an MRI had found a cancerous spot on his left lung, Page Six reported. He underwent surgery to remove it — a lobectomy, as covered at the time — and rescheduled January concerts to accommodate recovery. He later confirmed he was cancer-free, roughly three months after the surgery, according to Music-World's coverage of his announcement. The October return continues that recovery while he resumes the career he never really wanted to pause.

The residencyThe most shows in the history of the room

The show's title, according to the Westgate's official press release, is "Manilow: Las Vegas – The Hits Come Home!" — and FOX5's September coverage of the announcement notes it spans his signature hits — "Mandy," "Copacabana," "Can't Smile Without You" and "I Write the Songs" — with the immersive visuals and lush arrangements built for the legendary room.

The record books are his. Manilow holds the all-time record for the most performances at the International Theater, the Westgate said in its announcement. In 2024 he performed his 637th show there — one more than Elvis, Las Vegas Magazine reported — and that same year he signed the venue's first-ever lifetime residency contract, meaning he can play the room famous for Elvis's ’70s residency for as long as he wants. And he shows no sign of slowing down: he released his latest studio album, What A Time, in June, FOX5 reported. For more big Vegas entertainment news, see our F1 race-week guide here.

What comes nextFall dates, a Christmas run, and 2027

The fall schedule is already packed. Regular residency performances continue Oct. 8–10, Oct. 15–17, Nov. 5–7 and Nov. 12–14, the Westgate announced. In December, the holiday production "A Very Barry Christmas" returns for its sixth consecutive year, running three weekends: Dec. 3–5, Dec. 10–12 and Dec. 17–19. And last month, Westgate announced a new slate of 2027 dates for the residency — Feb. 18–20 and Feb. 25–27, March 25–27 and April 1–3 — with tickets on sale since Sept. 18, according to FOX5 and the resort's announcement. The Vegas Daily roundup has the rest of today's city news.