What happened to Lewis Capaldi? Singer takes break after Glastonbury show
Harald Krichel/WikimediaLewis Capaldi made an emotional announcement that he would stop touring after his Glastonbury performance. But what actually happened? Here’s everything we know.
After releasing his first single ‘Someone You Loved’ in 2018, Lewis Capaldi has become a global sensation. The release of this first album the following year was a hit as it stayed number one for six weeks in the UK and went on to become the best-selling album of 2019 and 2020.
While writing and recording his second album, Lewis documented the process in a documentary called How I’m Feeling Now, which was released on Netflix in 2023.
During the time he filmed the documentary, Lewis opened up about his mental health struggles, which had grown stronger after getting famous so quickly. His nervous ticks soon got diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome.
Since getting the diagnosis, Lewis has been open about learning to live with his ticks but has been forced to cancel shows after it stops him from performing – which is what happened recently at Glastonbury.
Content:
- What happened at Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury performance?
- Lewis Capaldi cancels upcoming performances
- What are Lewis Capaldi’s health issues?
What happened at Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury performance?
Lewis was one of the main performers at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival in England. In the midst of his performance of Someone You Loved, his Tourettes took over and his tremours made him unable to finish the song.
The Scottish singer was interrupted by tics as he tried to perform, but the crowd stepped in to sing the full song.
Capaldi apologized to the crowd at the end. “Glastonbury, I’m really sorry. I’m a bit annoyed with myself,” he said, per BBC.
“I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks. So you probably won’t see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even,” the ‘Before You Go’ singer added. “But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you’re still up for watching us.”
With regards to Glastonbury, Capaldi said it was his dream. “If I never get to do it again, this has been enough,” he told the crowd before walking off.
Lewis Capaldi cancels upcoming performances
In a statement posted on June 27, Lewis revealed he’s canceling all his planned performances for the rest of the year as he’s “still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s”.
He had 26 dates around the world on the calendar between now and October. They included a show at Chepstow Racecourse in South Wales for the weekend, as well as concerts in Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh, and at the Reading and Leeds festivals.
He wrote in his statement: “First of all, thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards. It really does mean the world.
“The fact that this probably won’t come as a surprise doesn’t make it any easier to write, but I’m very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future.
“I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped three weeks away would sort me out.
“But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”
He continued: “I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can’t and I’d like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more so during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever.
“I’m so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve. Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life.
“I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.”
What are Lewis Capaldi’s health issues?
While filming his Netflix documentary How I’m Feeling Now between 2021 and 2023, Lewis was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome is a disorder characterized by “repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can’t be easily controlled,” according to Mayo Clinic. Males are three to four times more likely to develop the syndrome than females.
Discussing his diagnosis in his documentary, Lewis revealed that he’d struggled with anxiety as he quickly rose to fame. As his struggles with anxiety grew stronger, he started showing nervous tics which soon got diagnosed at Tourettes.