
INTRODUCTION
On the evening of Monday, April 13, 2026, the silver-blue horizon of Belmont Park will serve as the backdrop for a historic musical conclusion. Barry Manilow, the definitive showman of his generation, is set to take the stage at the state-of-the-art UBS Arena for “MANILOW: The Last Long Island Concert.” At 07:00 PM ET, the house lights will dim on a capacity crowd of 17,000 fans, marking the final time the Brooklyn-born icon will perform a full-scale arena production in the region that fostered his early ambitions. This performance is more than a tour stop; it is a victory lap of immense proportions. Following a successful battle with stage-one lung cancer in late 2025, Manilow’s presence in Elmont is a testament to an indomitable spirit. As the 50-degree Fahrenheit spring air settles over Long Island, the atmosphere inside the arena is charged with the weight of five decades of hits and the electric anticipation of a final goodbye.
THE DETAILED STORY
The significance of the April 13 engagement cannot be overstated in the context of Manilow’s 2026 “Northeast Extension” tour. According to reports from Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, this performance was specifically added to satisfy a surge in demand following the artist’s remarkable post-surgery recovery. The setlist is expected to be a masterclass in pop architecture, weaving together the “Legacy hits”—including the soaring “Mandy,” the rhythmic “Copacabana (At the Copa),” and the anthem of resilience “I Write the Songs”—with his latest chart-climbing single, “Once Before I Go.” This new track, currently a Top 10 fixture on the Adult Contemporary charts, serves as a poignant harbinger for his upcoming studio album, What A Time, which is scheduled for global release on June 05, 2026.
Beyond the music, the evening will feature the prestigious “Manilow Music Teacher Award,” a cornerstone of the Manilow Music Project. During the show, a local Long Island educator will be honored on stage, receiving a $5,000 personal grant and $5,000 for their school’s instrument fund. This philanthropic effort, fueled by ticket sales that have seen secondary market prices exceed $500 for floor seating, ensures that Manilow’s final Long Island bow leaves a tangible legacy in the classroom as well as the charts. The technical production at UBS Arena is equally ambitious, utilizing a specialized lighting system designed to evoke the specific emotional frequency of each decade of his career.
As the 04/13/2026 date approaches, the industry is closely watching the 82-year-old icon. His management, led by Garry Kief, has maintained a strict “performance-first” protocol, ensuring Manilow is in peak vocal condition for the 2.5-hour spectacle. For the “Fanilows” traveling from across the Tri-State area, this is the end of a long-standing tradition. The UBS Arena engagement represents the closing of a circle for a man who transformed from a commercial jingle writer into a global phenomenon. When the final notes of “One Voice” ring out through the Elmont rafters, it will signify the conclusion of one of the most successful live performance records in the history of New York entertainment.