Lewis Capaldi couldn’t continue singing after suffering panic attack—his fans’ response left him empowered

When we’re facing bleak moments and just have no strength to get up, we want someone to carry us or sit with us in the storm for a while. Singer and songwriter Lewis Capaldi, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, also revealed that he has been battling mental health issues over the last few years, as stated by BBC News. During the Glastonbury Festival in 2023, the artist was unable to go on after experiencing a panic attack mid-performance. He tried his best to get back on stage but when you’re in that brief moment of vulnerability, you just have to step back. While it would seem like he let down his fans, they instead responded remarkably, assuring him that his love and hard work over the years had paid off brilliantly. 

In a candid Netflix documentary film, the artist revealed that he had been having issues with his mental health. Speaking with the director, Joe Pearlman, he confessed, "When I have a panic attack, it feels like I'm going insane, completely disconnected from reality. I can't breathe. I can't feel my breath going in. I get dizzy. I feel like something is happening to my head. I'm sweating.” He had released his album “Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent,” during which he started facing the brunt of all the pressure. He even briefly took a break to appear at the concert. However, around the fifth song, he started to seem visibly uncomfortable. Capaldi was struggling to go on.

"I apologise. You've all come out and my voice is really packing in," he said. He started convulsing and was forced to stop. "Glastonbury, I'm really sorry. I'm a bit annoyed with myself,” the artist confessed. However, his fans were not annoyed, not grumbling, nor complaining. Instead, they lent him his voice. Standing with him and empathizing with his struggles, they took the baton and started rendering a heavenly chorus of the artist’s “Someone You Loved.” Offering nothing but love and their voices, Capaldi shared a glimpse of how they orchestrated an unforgettable evening. However, the artist still found himself unable to make it through.

"I feel like I'll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks. So you probably won't see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even. But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you're still up for watching us,” Capaldi said. His fans didn’t know what to expect and neither did the singer but they knew love triumphed that day. "I genuinely dreamt of doing this. If I never get to do it again, this has been enough,” he remarked. This happened in June 2023. Throughout, his fans waited, supported, sent love and stayed when they needed to the most. This was no ordinary artist-fan relationship; it was a bond built on something powerful.

Fast forward two years, the artist came back stronger and decided to pick up where he left off. He wondered what to expect. He released another song, “Survive,” highlighting his story in solace with so many others suffering silently but resiliently. And when he came back, there was only love waiting for him. He returned to Glastonbury in June 2025 and fans were right there, cheering in support. Sharing a comparative video of both concerts two years apart, he finished what he started with incredible assistance along the way. This was not just two concerts — it was a journey. As the artist moves forward, he is assured of his fans’ love. His September Tour tickets are already sold out, the artist shared in a post. Looking through it all, Capaldi rightly says, it’s “the most incredible surreal feeling.”