Billy Joel is set to make his first officially announced performance since revealing his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), with Florida Atlantic University confirming that the legendary singer will appear at a special event in December.

The event, titled Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions & Answers…And a Little Music, is scheduled for December 14, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. The programme is expected to combine a question-and-answer session with a short live music segment.

According to the announcement, tickets will be available exclusively to currently enrolled FAU students, with sales scheduled to begin on November 12. The university has not announced a general-public ticket sale or a wider concert schedule for the singer.

A Carefully Watched Return

The announcement is attracting attention because Joel had stepped away from regular performances after disclosing in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a neurological condition involving an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s ventricles.

Joel said the condition had affected his hearing, vision and balance. Following medical advice, he cancelled his scheduled concerts and focused on treatment and recovery. In September 2026, he spoke publicly about undergoing a procedure in which a shunt was implanted to help manage the condition. He said the procedure had improved his memory, balance and general ability to function.

However, the singer’s return to a formal event should not be interpreted as confirmation that he has been cleared for a full concert tour. In an interview reported in October, Joel said his neurologist had warned that the noise, lighting and physical demands of performing could place significant stress on him. He also indicated that further medical testing would be needed before he could determine whether he could resume regular stage performances.

Not His First Appearance Since The Diagnosis

Although the December engagement is his first officially scheduled performance since the diagnosis, Joel did make a surprise appearance in January 2026. He joined the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstiles during a show in Wellington, Florida, performing two songs: “Big Shot” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” That brief appearance was not part of a formally announced solo concert schedule.

Joel, widely known for songs including “Piano Man,” “Uptown Girl,” “Vienna” and “New York State of Mind,” remains one of the most recognisable singer-songwriters in popular music. His December appearance will offer students an opportunity to hear from him directly, while the music segment will provide a limited glimpse of his return to a live setting.

For fans, the announcement is an encouraging development, but the scale of any future return remains uncertain. The December 14 event is a special university engagement, and no additional performances or tour dates have been confirmed.

Photograph: Billy Joel performing at Shea Stadium in New York City in 2008. Photo by Adam Weissman, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.