The show almost didn’t happen. And for a moment, it seemed like it wouldn’t. Rosalía was forced to cancel her Milan concert midway through the performance on March 24 after falling victim to a severe case of food poisoning. The 33-year-old singer, who is currently touring in support of her acclaimed album Lux, attempted to push through the illness before ultimately admitting defeat in front of a packed crowd at the Unipol Forum.
Standing on stage, visibly unwell, Rosalía addressed the audience with raw honesty. “I tried to do this show from the beginning, but I’ve been sick,” she told fans in a moment captured on video. “I have big-time food poisoning, and I tried to push through until the end, but I’m feeling extremely sick. I’m puking out there.” She explained that she was “basically on the floor trying my best” to deliver the performance her fans deserved, but the pain was overwhelming.
For an artist known for her meticulously crafted performances and unwavering stage presence, the cancellation was a rare occurrence. Rosalía confessed to the audience that she had never found herself in this situation before. “I really want you to have the best experience,” she said, pressing a hand to her stomach. “I’ve never been in this situation before. I’m really trying to push as much as I can, but I’m in pain”.
After completing the song “De Madrugá,” the Grammy-winning artist made the difficult decision to end the show. She waved goodbye to the crowd, clutching her stomach as she exited the stage. Fans captured footage of an ambulance leaving the venue shortly after.
Hours after the abrupt cancellation, Rosalía shared an update that reassured fans worldwide. She posted a photo to her Instagram Stories showing herself lying on a hospital stretcher, IV drip attached, giving a thumbs-up to the camera. “Feeling better,” she wrote alongside the image. “Thank you so much for all the love and understanding from everyone who was there. Grazie Milano”.
The post was met with an outpouring of support from fans and fellow artists, many praising her for attempting to push through despite the severity of her illness.
The Milan incident offered a rare glimpse into the physical toll of touring, a subject Rosalía has addressed before. In a November interview with Billboard, she spoke candidly about the sacrifices required to perform at the highest level. “For me, performing is an act for others,” she explained. “I don’t like touring. I like to be onstage and I love my fans, so I do it. But I love being in my home, calm, reading, cooking”.
She reflected on the cost of her career choices, recounting how she learned of her grandfather’s death moments before taking the stage at the 2019 Latin Grammys. “I couldn’t even be at the burial,” she said. “Those things, I’ll have to live with the sadness and the regret of not being there. Those are things that are not the good side of being a musician: always struggling, always being committed to whatever you’re doing, to the people who are there in the audience that night”.
Rosalía’s Lux tour, which kicked off earlier this month in Lyon, France, features 42 arena shows across 17 countries . The Milan cancellation came just days before the tour’s next scheduled stop: a four-night residency at Madrid’s Movistar Arena beginning March 30.
No announcement has been made regarding a rescheduled date for the Milan performance. The North American leg of the tour is set to begin June 4 in Miami, running through early September .
For now, the focus remains on recovery. And if her hospital selfie was any indication, the show, for this performer who has built a career on defying expectations, will indeed go on.
