The concert was set to be ELO’s second-to-last performance, marking a significant moment in their final tour. However, fans were handed printed notices approximately 15 minutes before showtime, informing them that the performance would not be going ahead due to illness.

Confirmation of the cancellation came via a post shared on the band’s social media, which read: “Unfortunately, due to illness, tonight’s scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne’s ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead. Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening. More information will become available as soon as possible. For refunds, please go to your point of purchase.”

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— Jeff Lynne’s ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) July 10, 2025

Concern had already been growing among fans following ELO’s previous night at the same venue. Attendees noted that frontman Jeff Lynne appeared visibly unwell during the show. On stage, Lynne revealed he had recently injured his hand in a taxi accident and was forced to perform without his guitar. After the show, fans took to social media to express their concern for the 77-year-old musician, best known for classics like ‘Mr. Blue Sky’, ‘Livin’ Thing’, and ‘Evil Woman’.

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The orchestral pop rock band were formed in Birmingham in the early 1970s and became known for their pioneering fusion of pop, rock and classical arrangements. Since taking sole creative control of the band in 1972, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lynne has written, arranged and produced evert ELO album.

The group released their 14^th studio album ‘From Out of Nowhere’ in November 2019. Plans for a supporting tour were later scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2024, Jeff Lynne’s ELO announced their ‘Over and Out Tour’ – a final farewell which would begin in North America in August 2024 is set to conclude at BST Hyde Park in July 2025.

Despite the cancellation in Manchester, the performance this Saturday (July 13) at BST Hyde Park is still scheduled to go ahead. Lynne has long referred to Hyde Park as “the perfect place to do our final show,” having first played the festival in 2014. Whether the final concert proceeds will depend on Lynne’s recovery in the coming days.

Here’s your lineup for @JeffLynnesELO‘s headline show in London’s Hyde Park this summer ✨ W. H. Lung, @CATSinSPACEband, @highfademusic, @NECKBREAKERShq, @DazzleBobbie and Bec O’Malley are joining @JeffLynnesELO, @TheDoobieBros, @SteveWinwood and @DhaniHarrison at American… pic.twitter.com/YE1ObhODFQ — BST Hyde Park (@BSTHydePark) June 3, 2025

MXDWN’s initial coverage of the announcement of Jeff Lynne’s ELO retirement show at Hyde Park 2025 can be read here.

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Jeff Lynne’s performance at BST Hyde Park will be his last live show before he retires ELO from touring. It will be the last show of five UK dates on the Over and Out tour, which has already included 31 dates across the US since August. Before the finale, Lynne will perform two shows in his native Birmingham, followed by two nights at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.   

Given the eight month gap between his last performance in the US and his Birmingham shows, there may be a reshuffle of his live material, however nineteen songs appeared at each of the US dates and could make up the spine of the UK shows too. The setlist was a collection of the band’s biggest hits including ‘All Over the World’, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’, ‘Livin’ Thing’, and ‘Showdown’. Tickets for Lynne’s show at BST Hyde Park sold out in just two days, with prices ranging from £110 up to an eye-watering £795, excluding booking fees. Fans are already excited, with one X user writing, “What a lineup. Roll on July!” Other BST Hyde Park headliners for 2025 include Sabrina Carpenter (5 July), Zach Bryan (28 and 29 June), and was set to include Hugh Jackman until he pulled out earlier today.  

When the BST Hyde Park show was announced, Lynne took to Instagram to reflect on the significance of the park, saying: “My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014. It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. We couldn’t be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ‘we’re gonna do it One More Time!’”

 

 

 

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The Doobie Brothers BST performance will be the second leg of their upcoming UK tour running from 11 to 21 July, supporting their upcoming album ‘Walk This Road’. The album is set for release on 6 June and will be their first album with returning vocalist Michael McDonald, who last appeared on 1980’s ‘One Step Closer’. 

Steve Winwood, part of The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Clapton-led supergroup Blind Faith, shared the announcement online, but didn’t directly comment. Winwood supported The Doobie Brothers on their 2024 tour.

Dhani Harrison, son of George Harrison, hasn’t responded to the news yet, but does have a long history with Lynne. The pair performed together at the Concert for George, a tribute to Dhani’s late father a year after his passing. Lynne also worked closely with George Harrison, producing his album ‘Cloud Nine’, and was his bandmate in the supergroup The Travelling Wilburys.

 Despite BST Hyde Park being his final live show, Lynne was quick to clarify that he is not retiring from music. In a December interview with MOJO, the 77 year-old said, “This is not a farewell to music. I am excited to return to the studio full-time, which is what I love!” This return could quite easily be in a producer capacity, with Lynne having worked with The Beatles, Roy Orbison and Brian Wilson to name a few.

Having sold over 50 million albums worldwide, Jeff Lynne and ELO have left an indelible mark on music, seamlessly blending elements of pop, rock and classical. As Lynne takes the stage for one final performance, joined by 65,000 festival-goers, it will be a celebration of his remarkable career.

Lynne, now 76, reflected on the choice of venue in a statement on Instagram: “My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014. It seems like the perfect place to do our final show.” That 2014 concert, part of BBC Radio 2’s Festival in a Day, marked the first performance under the moniker Jeff Lynne’s ELO and revitalised the band’s touring career. It was also their first live performance in 28 years.

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The upcoming Hyde Park concert will follow the band’s ongoing “Over and Out” farewell tour across North America, which began in August and is set to conclude at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on 25 October. The tour was named before the death of ELO’s co-founder and long-time keyboardist Richard Tandy, who passed away in May this year at the age of 76. Lynne paid tribute to Tandy, calling him a “remarkable musician” and “dear friend.”

Tandy had been an integral part of ELO since its inception in 1970, when the group emerged from the Birmingham music scene. Known for blending rock with classical music, the band dominated the charts in the 1970s and early 1980s with hits like “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Evil Woman”, and “Don’t Bring Me Down”. Their distinctive sound, characterised by symphonic strings and lush arrangements, became a defining feature of the era’s popular music.

After disbanding in 1986, Lynne shifted his focus to production, working with notable artists including George Harrison and Tom Petty. However, ELO’s legacy continued in various forms, most notably through the contentious ELO Part II, led by original drummer Bev Bevan. This incarnation of the group toured without Lynne’s involvement, which created a lasting rift between the two.

It was not until the release of Zoom in 2001 that Lynne resumed his role at the helm of ELO, though an accompanying tour was ultimately cancelled. A true reunion did not materialise until 2014 with the aforementioned Hyde Park performance, followed by the release of Alone in the Universe in 2015 and a high-profile slot at Glastonbury in 2016.

The Hyde Park show in 2024 will not only serve as a capstone to the band’s remarkable 50-year career but also marks the closure of a chapter in British rock history. Jim King, CEO of European Festivals at AEG Presents, expressed his excitement about hosting the gig, saying: “Jeff Lynne’s ELO are loved the world over. The live shows are nothing short of extraordinary and a testament to the incredible catalogue of hits we’ve enjoyed for over 50 years.”

Jeff Lynne said of this achievement:

“Thirty five years between number one albums! I’m totally amazed. Thanks to everyone that made it possible.”

Jeff Lynne is named alongside a number of artists to be honoured at the O2 Silver Clef Awards. Jeff Lynne will collect the Icon Award: other artists include Massive Attack, Hozier, Craig David, and Patti Smith, to name a select few.

Since April, Jeff Lynne’s ELO have completed a massive UK arena tour which started in Liverpool and included four nights at London’s O2 Arena. After Glastonbury, they have taken a short break and will perform three nights in Los Angeles and two in New York City.

9/9 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
10/9 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
11/9 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
16/9 – New York City – Radio City Music Hall
18/9 – New York City – Radio City Music Hall

Formed in 1970, ELO have accumulated an extensive discography commencing with the eponymous The Electric Light Orchestra in 1971. The 1970s included a further seven albums and three in the 1980s.

Watch ‘Mr Blue Sky’ below at Glastonbury courtesy of BBC Music.