Billy Joel performs for first time since brain disorder diagnosis
Billy Joel has made a surprise appearance alongside a Billy Joel cover band at a Florida village amphitheatre, marking his first stage performance since his brain disorder diagnosis.
The cover band, called Turnstiles, played to a crowd of several thousand on January 2nd, 2026. The performance was in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the town of Wellington, Florida.
Partway through their set, they were joined by the very star they were trying to emulate.
On-stage, Joel quipped, “I wasn’t planning on working tonight,” but beamed from ear to ear while soaring through two songs, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’, and ‘Big Shot’. His daughters, Della and Remy, took to the stage with him.
This off-hand performance was officially Joel’s first time back on stage since his last performance in February 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Towards the end of the show, the singer-songwriter suffered a painful fall after throwing his microphone to a member of his crew. He eventually returned to his feet and finished the concert.
In May 2025, the singer revealed a diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).
A statement posted by his team at the time read, “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”
In a personal statement posted around the same time, Joel apologised to fans, writing, “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.” He cancelled all live commitments for the rest of the year.
At the time of writing, Joel does not have any official live commitments in 2026. However, this surprise set is a great indication that his health is returning to form.
The video of his latest performance, uploaded by Bob Markey, is over 12 minutes long. Joel seemed in good spirits, as Markey wrote in the official synopsis, “I even got to give him a fist bump as he walked by afterwards.”
Watch the footage of the momentous occasion below.
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