Donald Glover reveals reason behind tour cancellation

Donald Glover has revealed that the reason behind the abrupt cancellation of his Childish Gambino New World Tour last year was a "stroke."

Glover, 42, made the admission onstage at Camp Flog Gnaw, recalling a severe head pain he had experienced during a Louisiana performance but pushed through the show regardless.

“I did the show anyway,” he said, per fan videos shared via X. “I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”

Glover said his first reaction was fear of disappointing fans, though he also made a brief joke comparing his situation to Jamie Foxx’s 2023 medical crisis. Further testing revealed a hole in his heart, for which he had to undergo multiple surgeries.

“They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realise you have one,” Glover continued. “You got one life, guys. And I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing.”

Glover announced the tour’s cancellation last October but did not disclose the cause at the time, only confirming he had been hospitalised.

The tour, launched in August 2024, was supposed to be a farewell to his stage name, as he no longer found the moniker Childish Gambino "meaningful."