Barry Manilow coming to Rupp with concert, cash for lucky Kentucky music educator
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Manilow plays Rupp Arena March 9; tickets go on sale Jan. 16.
- Manilow had successful lung surgery; January shows were postponed.
- He will present the Manilow Music Teacher Award; winner gets $10,000 via online vote.
You know he can’t smile without you, right? That’s why Barry Manilow is asking all of his Central Kentucky fans to join him as he closes out his touring career.
The multi-platinum-selling pop artist responsible for the hits “Mandy,” “Looks Like We Made It” and, of course, “Can’t Smile Without You,” is preparing for his final Lexington performance. After a five-plus decade career, he will visit Rupp Arena on March 9 as part of an ongoing farewell tour.
Artist presale for tickets runs from 10 a.m. Jan. 14 to 10 p.m. Jan. 15. Local and partner presales run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 15. All tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 16 on Ticketmaster. Go to barrymanilow.com.
The Rupp concert is an addition to a series of January performances that were postponed so Manilow, 82, could have surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his left lung. He was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer in December. A press release said the surgery was successful. Posting on Instagram in December, Manilow said his condition requires no chemotherapy or radiation treatments. “Just chicken soup and ‘I Love Lucy’ reruns.”
Cumulative career record sales for Manilow are estimated at round 85 million, a figure that includes over 40 albums and 28 Top 10 hits (13 of which went to No. 1). His accolades include a Grammy Award for the 1979 hit “Copacabana (At the Copa),” a Tony for the 1977 production “Barry Manilow on Broadway” and an Emmy for 1977’s “The Barry Manilow Special.”
The Lexington concert will also serve as a platform to present the Manilow Music Teacher Award. The honor was created by the Manilow Music Project, which is part of the Manilow Fund which “honors educators whose passion and dedication help bring music to life for their students.”
The winner will be selected by an online voting process that will begin Jan. 22, the same day the nominees for the award will be announced. The winner will be recognized onstage by Manilow during the Rupp concert and awarded a prize of $10,000 – half in cash and half for purchase of classroom instruments.
While some of Manilow’s hits are now over a half-century old, his recording career continues to flourish. He recently released a new single titled “Once Before I Go” produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (whose client list through the decades has included Beyonce, Boyz II Men and Bobby Brown) and Demonte Posey.
While the March 9 concert will mark Manilow’s final Rupp concert, he has by no means been a regular visitor. His only other performance at the venue was over 45 years ago — an October 1980 performance that came one night prior to a Rupp show by Van Halen.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 8:00 AM.