Sir Rod Stewart apologises to fans for last-minute gig cancellation in Australia

Sir Rod Stewart has apologised to fans for cancelling his sold-out concert in Australia at the last minute over the weekend.

The veteran British rocker was due to perform alongside Cyndi Lauper and Jon Stevens at his A Day on the Green event in Geelong on Saturday.

However, organisers announced on social media hours before the event that it was cancelled "due to illness", which caused ticketholders to become furious.

On Saturday night, Stewart took to Instagram to apologise to his fans for the cancellation and revealed he was suffering from a viral throat infection.

"I'm absolutely downhearted that I'm disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day On The Green. Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing," he explained.

"I'm only human and sometimes get sick just like you do. My greatest joy is performing for you, so I'm doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!" the 78-year-old shared.

Rod is currently scheduled to perform at the AEC Arena in Adelaide on Tuesday, followed by five more dates in Australia.

From April to September, he will also perform in New Zealand, Mexico, America, Ireland, the U.K., and Spain.