ST. PAUL — Lionel Richie fell ill and cut short his performance during the opening night of his joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire on June 24, 2026, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. He concluded his set after approximately one hour on stage.

During his performance of "Dancing on the Ceiling," Richie sat down on stage multiple times. "When you're feeling dizzy, sit your ass down," Richie told the audience. He added, "And when you are feeling strange about yourself, sit yo a—down." Richie acknowledged this was the first time he had performed the song while seated, stating, "Now, I want you to know that's the first time in the history of 'Dancing on the Ceiling' I've done it sitting down." He noted, "That's a bad sign, that's a bad sign, y'all."

Richie then moved to the piano to perform "Three Times a Lady." Following this song, he called for an intermission. His band remained on stage for 15 minutes before eventually exiting.

Approximately 40 minutes into the intermission, saxophonist Dino Soldo emerged to address the audience. "Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well," Soldo said. "He won't be able to continue." Soldo added, "Additional information will be available." He concluded by saying, "Thank you for your patience and understanding. Safe travels home, everyone."

Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris stated in a podcast interview that Richie had not exhibited any signs of illness before the show. Earlier in 2026, Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire announced this joint North American tour, which consists of 26 dates. On June 23, 2026, Richie expressed gratitude for his team, saying, "Thank you to everyone in my band and crew for all the hard work, dedication, and long hours getting us ready for this tour." He added, "It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I'm grateful for each and every one of you." On the night of the show, he posted: "Opening night. Rehearsals. Sound check. Showtime tonight. Saint Paul, you're up!!!"

The tour's next scheduled stop is Friday, June 26, 2026, at Chicago's United Center. The tour is set to conclude on August 14, 2026, at Austin's Moody Center, with other stops including New York City's Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles' Intuit Dome.