Lionel Richie cuts opening night concert short after feeling dizzy onstage

The R&B legend told fans he wasn’t feeling well before stepping off the stage and never returning

Soul legend Lionel Richie gave fans a scare Wednesday night when he was forced to cut his opening show short after telling the crowd he felt dizzy.

The 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was about an hour into the first date of his “Sing A Song All Night Long” joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, when things took an unexpected turn. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Richie — dressed in leather pants and jacket and visibly sweating throughout the night — sat down on the steps of the stage mid-performance of “Dancing on the Ceiling,” one of his most physically demanding hits.

“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a— down,” Richie told the more than 10,000 fans in attendance.

He pushed through one more song, taking a seat at a grand piano for the tender ballad “Three Times a Lady,” before announcing an unplanned “intermission” and exiting through a giant screen that spelled out his name in lights. His five band members held their positions on stage for roughly 15 minutes before quietly departing.

Because he was feeling dizzy and strange, @lionelrichie performed Dancing on the Ceiling sitting down on opening night @grandcasarena pic.twitter.com/5LYk5unI9s— Jon Bream (@jonbream) June 25, 2026

After about 35 minutes, a band member returned to deliver the news fans were dreading. “Unfortunately Lionel is not feeling well. We won’t be able to continue with tonight’s show,” he told the crowd, offering no further details on a possible rescheduling or refunds.

Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris told the Star Tribune that there had been no warning signs before the show. “He’s a little dehydrated,” Paris offered, though he acknowledged he didn’t know Richie’s official health status.

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A post shared by Lionel Richie (@lionelrichie)

Richie had been in high spirits leading up to the tour’s kickoff, posting enthusiastically on Instagram and publicly thanking his band and crew just the day before. “Saint Paul, here we come,” he wrote.

As of press time, Richie has not publicly addressed the incident. The tour’s next stop is Friday in Chicago, though it remains unclear whether that date will proceed as scheduled.