Donald Glover reveals stroke and major health issues that forced cancellation of last year’s tour

Donald Glover says he suffered a stroke & heart complications that led to his tour cancellation

Donald Glover has disclosed new details about the serious health problems that led him to cancel his tour last year, explaining that he suffered a stroke along with multiple other medical complications. The artist — known musically as Childish Gambino — spoke about the ordeal during his performance at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival on November 22.

Glover originally halted his North American, UK, and European shows in late 2024 after undergoing surgery for an unspecified condition, later cancelling dates in Australia and New Zealand as well. At the time, he told fans he had been hospitalized following a New Orleans concert because of a persistent health issue that required immediate treatment and recovery.

During his Camp Flog Gnaw set at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, Glover explained that the situation had been far more serious than initially revealed. He described experiencing severe head pain during the Louisiana show but performing anyway. When his vision became impaired while traveling to Houston, he sought emergency care — where doctors told him he had suffered a stroke.

Glover joked that his first reaction was comparing his experience to actor Jamie Foxx, who survived a stroke in 2023, but said he also felt he was letting fans and his team down. He went on to share that additional health challenges followed, including a broken foot and the discovery of a hole in his heart, which required multiple surgeries.

Quoting the familiar saying, Glover told the crowd: “They say everybody has two lives, and the second life starts when you realise you have one,” encouraging fans to live fully and intentionally. His performance was livestreamed for free, with many viewers praising the emotional set and describing it as one of his most powerful appearances.

This year’s Camp Flog Gnaw event was postponed by a week due to severe weather and ultimately took place on November 22–23. The festival lineup included A$AP Rocky, Doechii, Clipse, Earl Sweatshirt, T-Pain, 2 Chainz, Thundercat, Larry June, Teezo Touchdown, and others.