Eric Clapton struck by object thrown from crowd, ends show early

Eric Clapton prematurely ended a recent show in Madrid, Spain after he was struck by an object thrown by someone in the crowd.

The 81-year-old guitarist and singer was struck by what appears to be the sleeve of a vinyl record during his show at Movistar Arena on May 7. According to GuitarWorld, Clapton did not return to stage for an expected encore because of the incident.

See the moment in the video at the top of the story.

Eric Clapton's tour comes to US this fall

According to Clapton's website, he is wrapping up an European leg of a current tour, with three shows in Germany this week. Clapton then has a show scheduled in the United Kingdom on Aug. 23 before beginning the American leg of his tour in Detroit on Sept. 6.

His tour is expected to conclude with a scheduled appearance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin, where Clapton is expected to perform two shows on Sept. 26 and 27.

Clapton the latest in string of artists hit by objects while performing

Clapton is the latest artist to be struck by an object thrown by an audience member during a concert.

In December 2024, Billie Eilish was hit in the face by an object thrown at her from the audience while performing in Arizona. In July 2023, Harry Styles was hit in the eye by an unidentified object thrown onstage by a fan during a performance in Vienna.

Drake, Lil Nas X, Kelsea Ballerini and Lady Gaga, among many others, were also victims of audience members throwing items onstage during their shows.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].