Rod Stewart at Riverbend Music Center: an evening of hits with Richard Marx
Rod Stewart brings his "One Last Time" tour to Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, for an evening that connects his rock, pop, soul and rhythm and blues repertoire with decades of songs that have remained part of the radio and concert canon. The concert is scheduled for Sunday, August 9, 2026, doors open at 6:00 PM, and the program begins at 7:30 PM. The special guest is Richard Marx, who according to information from the organizer takes the stage at 7:30 PM, while Rod Stewart closes the evening.
This is an important detail when planning arrival: Richard Marx is not merely a name on the poster but a performer who gets his own opening set. Visitors who want to hear the entire program should therefore be in their seats before the 7:30 PM start, rather than timing their arrival only for Stewart's appearance on stage.
The "One Last Time" tour began in 2024, and its continuation was expanded with new dates during 2026. Riverbend Music Center was included among the U.S. stops on that extension. The concept of the tour is based primarily on major songs from Stewart's career, rather than on presenting a single new studio album.
It is worth securing tickets in time, especially if the goal is a particular section of the pavilion or a view closer to the stage.
Why "One Last Time" is different from a classic retrospective tour
Rod Stewart has a career behind him that is difficult to reduce to a single musical style. His distinctively raspy vocal connects early rock and folk-rock, the period with Faces, a major solo pop and rock repertoire, soul covers, more dance-oriented songs from the late 1970s and 1980s, and his later affinity for American standards and swing music.
That is precisely why the current concert is not conceived as a chronological journey through the discography. The published tour description announces a selection of major hits from different phases of his career. Among the titles mentioned in the context of "One Last Time" are "You Wear It Well", "Maggie May", "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", "The First Cut Is the Deepest", "Tonight's the Night", "Every Picture Tells a Story", "Infatuation", "Forever Young", "Ooh La La", "Young Turks", "Have I Told You Lately", "Rhythm of My Heart" and "Broken Arrow".
However, this is not a confirmed set list for Cincinnati. Stewart changes individual songs and their order during the tour, and his repertoire also includes covers that over the decades have become inseparable from his concert identity.
Two recent performances provide a good picture of that approach. At Jones Beach on July 31 and in Virginia Beach on August 1, 2026, songs such as "Infatuation", "Some Guys Have All the Luck", "Hot Legs", "Forever Young", "The First Cut Is the Deepest", "Maggie May", "Rhythm of My Heart", "People Get Ready", "Have I Told You Lately", "Proud Mary" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" were repeated. At both concerts, the closing section also included "Love Train".
At the same time, the differences between those two performances show why the exact repertoire should not be assumed in advance. In Virginia Beach, "You're in My Heart" and "Young Turks" appeared, while Jones Beach had different choices and a guest appearance by Little Steven on several songs. That guest appearance was tied to that particular performance and has not been confirmed for Cincinnati.
What the audience can expect from Stewart's performance
Recent concerts show a format in which Stewart's songs alternate with soul, rock and pop covers, accompanied by a large backing band and with room for other vocalists on stage. A review of the performance at Mohegan Sun Arena in March 2026 described a program combining his own classics with songs by other writers, including material associated with Sam Cooke, Etta James, The Impressions and other performers whose music Stewart has interpreted in his own way throughout his career.
That is an important part of his concert identity. "The First Cut Is the Deepest", for example, is not a song written by Stewart, nor is "Have I Told You Lately", but both have become strongly associated with his catalog through his versions. The same applies to "People Get Ready", a song that carries an additional connection to Jeff Beck in his career.
Recent performances also show that the concert is not conceived as a quiet evening of ballads. "Hot Legs", "Infatuation", "Tonight I'm Yours", "Young Turks" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" give the program a faster, more dance-oriented section, while "Maggie May", "Forever Young", "The First Cut Is the Deepest" and "Have I Told You Lately" bring out the more melodically and emotionally recognizable side of his repertoire.
For audiences who have followed Stewart's music for decades, the main attraction will be the concentration of familiar songs. For younger visitors or those who know only a few singles, the concert is an opportunity to hear how far his catalog extends beyond one period or one genre.
The current phase of his career: from swing back to major concert hits
Although "One Last Time" relies on major songs from throughout his career, Stewart's more recent recording phase shows that he has not remained focused solely on nostalgia. The album "Swing Fever", recorded with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, brought a return to classic swing and a big-band sound. The album gave Stewart his 11th number-one album on the UK chart.
That phase logically continues his long-standing interest in the Great American Songbook, but the concert at Riverbend belongs to another side of his career - the large-scale stage format built around a rock, pop and soul repertoire.
In the meantime, the emphasis has once again been placed on summarizing his entire catalog. The "Ultimate Hits" collection gathers songs ranging from "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Maggie May" through "Sailing" to "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Forever Young". That overview also describes the logic of the current tour well: the audience is not coming for only one era of Rod Stewart, but for songs spanning several decades.
Richard Marx opens the evening with his own series of familiar songs
Richard Marx is stylistically a natural guest for this kind of concert. His catalog connects pop-rock and adult contemporary sounds, with an emphasis on strong melodies, choruses and ballads that marked the late 1980s and early 1990s.
What his part of the evening might look like can be seen from the performance at Jones Beach on July 31, 2026, where before Rod Stewart he performed "Endless Summer Nights", "Satisfied", "Angelia", "Magic Hour", "Should've Known Better" and "Right Here Waiting". This does not mean he will perform an identical selection in Cincinnati, but it shows that his opening set can contain several major songs rather than being only a brief appearance.
"Right Here Waiting" is especially recognizable to a broad audience, while "Satisfied" and "Should've Known Better" represent the more energetic rock-pop side of his catalog. The combination of Marx and Stewart therefore gives the evening a logical continuity: melodic pop-rock first transitions into Stewart's considerably broader repertoire.
Riverbend Music Center changes the way the concert is experienced
Riverbend Music Center is located at 6295 Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati, along the Ohio River. It is a large open-air amphitheater that has operated since 1984 and accommodates approximately 20,500 visitors. The venue combines covered pavilion seating with a large lawn area, so the concert experience depends significantly on the chosen section.
Seats under the pavilion provide a more direct view toward the stage and protection from rain. The lawn area offers the more relaxed character of a large summer concert, but it is not covered. In 2012, Riverbend received a synthetic concert lawn surface, which is one of its distinctive infrastructure features.
For Stewart's type of production, the size of the venue is particularly important. This is not a club concert or a theater evening in which every spectator is only a few meters from the performer. Riverbend is a venue for a large concert format, with a pavilion that focuses the audience toward the stage and a lawn that creates a broader festival-like atmosphere.
- Address: 6295 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Doors open at 6:00 PM.
- Richard Marx begins at 7:30 PM, and Rod Stewart closes the program.
- Parking lots for this concert open at 4:00 PM.
- The rideshare passenger pickup area is located at Gate 9, across from Gate 2.
- Pavilion seats are covered, while the lawn area is not.
Seats disappear quickly when audiences are targeting a specific section or level of proximity to the stage, so it is worth checking the seating chart before choosing a ticket.
Arriving by car, parking and rideshare
For visitors arriving by car, one of Riverbend's more convenient features is that parking is included with the event ticket. For the Rod Stewart concert, the parking lots open at 4:00 PM, two hours before the doors open.
General parking is distributed around the complex, and traffic is directed by staff at the entrances. For visitors who require the nearest accessible parking, the recommended entrance is Gate 2. Space availability works on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving earlier reduces pressure immediately before the program begins.
For arrival and departure using rideshare services, a designated area is located at Gate 9, across from Gate 2. This detail is especially useful after the concert, when a large number of people move toward the exits and surrounding roads at the same time.
Riverbend's arrival information also refers visitors to Cincinnati Metro for public transportation planning. Visitors relying on the bus should check the current departure time of the last return service for their route, especially because the exact end time of Stewart's performance cannot be guaranteed in advance to the minute.
Entry rules worth knowing before leaving
Riverbend uses a clear bag policy. Clear bags with a maximum size of 12 x 12 x 6 inches are allowed, while a small clutch bag up to 6 x 9 inches does not have to be clear. There are exceptions for medically necessary bags and certain other cases, but bags are subject to inspection.
All visitors go through a security screening that may include a metal detector, visual inspection and bag inspection. The venue does not allow re-entry after a visitor leaves.
For this particular concert, the organizer also specifies a rule related to water: visitors may bring in up to four sealed plastic bottles of water up to 33.8 fl oz each or an empty soft plastic bottle. Water refill stations are available at the venue. An additional rule applies to pit ticket holders, under which drinks are poured into provided cups when entering that section.
Low lawn chairs are allowed at most events if the seat is no more than 12 inches above the ground, while chairs with canopies and tall camping chairs are not allowed. Because rules may change according to the requirements of an individual event, it is useful to check them again immediately before arrival.
Rain does not automatically mean the evening will be interrupted
Riverbend is an open-air concert venue and events generally take place even in the rain. Pavilion seats are under a roof, but the lawn is not covered. For visitors in the lawn area, reasonable preparation includes a light raincoat or poncho if the forecast shows a chance of precipitation.
Umbrellas and other equipment are subject to venue rules, so it is more practical to rely on permitted rain protection rather than larger items that can cause problems during security screening or obstruct the view of others.
When to arrive and how to plan the evening without rushing
The simplest schedule for a visitor who wants the entire program is to arrive early enough for parking, security screening and finding the seat to be completed before 7:30 PM. Parking lots open as early as 4:00 PM, while the doors open at 6:00 PM, so there is a large window of time for avoiding the biggest rush immediately before the start.
It should be taken into account that Riverbend accommodates a large number of people and that the distance between a parked car, the entrance and one's own section can be considerably greater than in a small venue. Visitors on the lawn additionally need to find a suitable place within their area.
Recent Stewart performances should not be used as a guarantee of the concert duration in Cincinnati, but they show that the main part of the evening can be extensive. In Virginia Beach on August 1, Stewart, according to the recorded timing, began his performance at 8:40 PM and finished at around 10:20 PM, while Jones Beach the previous day had a different schedule. Cincinnati should therefore be planned around the published start of the evening, rather than around an assumed time for Stewart to take the stage or finish.
Who will find this concert especially interesting
The clearest audience is long-time fans who want to hear songs such as "Maggie May", "Forever Young", "Hot Legs", "Tonight's the Night" or "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" in a large-scale concert format. But the program is broad enough that it does not require detailed knowledge of the entire discography.
Fans of classic rock get the connection with Faces and Stewart's earlier solo period. Audiences who grew up with 1980s pop get "Young Turks", "Infatuation" and other songs from his commercially strong phase. Fans of soul and interpretations of other artists' songs will recognize "People Get Ready", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "Having a Party" and other titles appearing in the current repertoire.
Richard Marx further broadens the audience profile toward listeners of melodic pop-rock and major ballads. If his program maintains the direction of recent performances, the evening begins with songs such as "Endless Summer Nights", "Satisfied" and "Right Here Waiting", before Stewart takes the stage with a much broader stylistic range.
The title "One Last Time" gives the entire performance additional weight, but it should not automatically be interpreted as Stewart's complete retirement from music. The tour has been presented as the final major concert phase of this type, while Stewart himself has previously spoken about an interest in different musical formats. For the audience in Cincinnati, what matters more is what is happening now: a large open-air amphitheater, Richard Marx as the opening act for the evening and Stewart's repertoire built around songs that have survived several generations of listeners.
Ticket sales for this event are currently underway.
Sources:
- Riverbend Music Center - information about the Rod Stewart concert, door opening and program start times, Richard Marx, parking lots, rideshare area, water and the announced tour repertoire.
- Riverbend Music Center FAQ and Rules & Prohibited Items - address, parking, clear bag policy, security screening, chair rules, re-entry, accessibility and procedures in case of rain.
- Music & Event Management, Inc. - history of Riverbend Music Center, location along the Ohio River, annual visitor numbers and the synthetic concert lawn surface.
- Cincy A&E - Riverbend Music Center capacity and basic information about the amphitheater.
- Rod Stewart - information about the current phase of his career, the tour and the album "Swing Fever".
- Warner Records - context for the album "Swing Fever" and the collaboration with Jools Holland.
- Setlist.fm - recent Rod Stewart set lists at Jones Beach and Virginia Beach and the recent Richard Marx set list.
- MisplacedStraws - concert review of Rod Stewart's performance at Mohegan Sun Arena during the 2026 tour.
- Cincinnati Metro - current information for planning travel by public transportation.