It was Clapton’s first appearance in the city in 25 years, according to Entertainment Tonight. The 81-year-old had just finished performed his 1977 hit “Cocaine” and was heading backstage when someone in the audience threw what appears to be a vinyl record at him.

THIS is the moment rock legend Eric Clapton was smacked by a flying vinyl at a concert. Video footage from inside the Movistar Arena in Madrid on May 7 shows a record being thrown from the crowd

Music icon Eric Clapton was forced to cut his concert in Spain short after a fan hurled an object onto the stage, striking him in the chest.

Listings show Clapton is set to kick off a short U.S. arena run in September, including a stop at Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center on Sept. 8, 2026, according to Ticketmaster. The guitarist also has recent history in the region, having played Cleveland’s Rocket Arena on Sept. 11, 2025, per the venue’s event archive.

Eric Clapton’s long-awaited return to Madrid ended with a projectile flying at his chest and the rock legend walking straight offstage. The 81-year-old guitarist had just finished performing “Cocaine” at the Movistar Arena when an audience member threw what appeared to be a vinyl record or sleeve toward the stage,

Fans had been waiting for his concert for two decades, and it ended in a very unpleasant way.

Despite having some of the greatest chops in the industry, Eric Clapton understood when some songs were outside of his wheelhouse.