Donald Glover has opened up about a series of severe health issues that forced him to cancel his tour last year.
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Glover – aka Childish Gambino – cancelled his North American, UK and European tour dates to undergo surgery for an undisclosed issue late last year, and later announced the cancellation of further dates across Australia and New Zealand.
At the time, he told fans he had gone to the hospital after a show in New Orleans “to make sure of an ailment that had become apparent,” which required surgery and time to heal, saying his path to recovery was something he needed “to confront seriously”.
This year’s edition of Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw carnival saw Glover play a set last night (November 22), during which he shed more light on the ordeal. “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana, and I did the show anyway,” he explained.
“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.’
Childish Gambino reveals that he had a stroke and a hole was found in his heart and is why he had to stop his tour pic.twitter.com/YxeQYBWDBA
— Dat (@DatDaDatty) November 23, 2025
“And the first thing I thought was like, ‘Oh, here I am still copying Jamie Foxx’ [who suffered a stroke in 2023]. That’s really like the second thing. The first thing was like, ‘I’m letting everybody down.’”
He went on to say he was plagued by more health issues, which required successive surgeries: “I broke my foot, they found a hole in my heart,” he told the crowd. “So I had this surgery, and then I had to have another surgery.
“They say everybody has two lives, and the second life starts when you realise you have one. You should be living your life how you want. If we have to do this again, it can only get better.”
His set drew praise from fans who were able to watch along on a livestream for free at home. Taking to social media, one viewer said he “performed like this was his last at Camp Flog Gnaw,” with others saying the emotionally charged set drew them to tears.
Childish Gambino just performed like this was his last at Camp Flog Gnaw fr!! INCREDIBLE!!! I wish i would have saw this in person🥺 THANK U MR GLOVER!!! pic.twitter.com/ASN71Lbbiv
— ibreathemusicallday (@ibreathemusic1) November 23, 2025
childish gambinos set is actually making me cry😕😕 pic.twitter.com/HCsNMy2kfS
— ★ (@wavy_velvet) November 23, 2025
just got done watching childish gambinos set and im literally sobbing genuinely one of the best artists weve ever seen
pic.twitter.com/1xy4qvVDBQ— mack ★ (@lithoniagirl) November 23, 2025
This is lowkey giving last Childish Gambino performance😭 letting fans pick the set, him explaining his health issues he experienced mid tour (and why he had to cancel) plus him throwing around the idea that hes gonna retire gambino for a while….. just hope thats not the case.. pic.twitter.com/MYF0j6NtPY
— beth¹²⁷ (@jamie_babyj_) November 23, 2025
Childish Gambino really still got it man. One of the best and most underrated performers of the generation. I may have only gotten to see him live once but one of the best shows I’ve ever been too #campfloggnaw pic.twitter.com/yJQxDjEBvk
— JaydΞn🇨🇴🇩🇴 (@JaydenP0205) November 23, 2025
The 11th edition of the carnival Glover performed at was initially due to take place at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium last weekend (November 15 and 16) with artists including A$AP Rocky, Doechii, Clipse, Earl Sweatshirt, T-Pain, 2 Chainz, Thundercat, Larry June, Teezo Touchdown and more on the line-up.
A day before the event kicked off, it was announced it had been pushed back a weekend after severe weather, now falling this weekend.
