Mariah Carey is gearing up to return to the road this holiday season, with the music icon set to embark on a three-show UK tour later this year.
The Obsessed singer – who recently announced bringing her holiday special tour, Christmastime, to the UK – will kick off the concerts from November 17, 2026, at Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which will conclude on December 8, 2026, at MFCC (Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre) in Ta’Qali, Malta.
As the Fantasy hitmaker prepares to embark on tour, her return to the stage comes amid her ongoing battle with a major health issue, which she first talked about back in 2018.
Carey has spoken candidily about living with bipolar II disorder, a condition she was first diagnosed with more than two decades ago in 2001.
What is bipolar disorder?
According to WebMD, bipolar II disorder is a form of mental illness, which is similar to bipolar I disorder with moods cycling between high and low over time.
“A person affected by bipolar II disorder has had at least one hypomanic episode in their life. Most people with bipolar II disorder have episodes of depression more often. This is where the term "manic depression" comes from,” the outlet states.
Mariah Carey’s struggles with bipolar disorder
The All I Want for Christmas is You singer first opened up about her lifelong battle with bipolar II disorder back in 2018 during an interview with PEOPLE.
She revealed being diagnosed with the chronic condition in 2001 after being hospitalized for a physical and mental breakdown, noting that she was “in denial” upon learning about it.
“Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music,” she shared.
The singer, subbed as the Queen of Christmas, continued, “I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important.”
“For a long time I thought I had a severe sleep disorder. But it wasn’t normal insomnia and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep. I was working and working and working … I was irritable and in constant fear of letting people down. It turns out that I was experiencing a form of mania,” she stated.
Continuing her statement, the singer shared, “Eventually I would just hit a wall. I guess my depressive episodes were characterized by having very low energy. I would feel so lonely and sad — even guilty that I wasn’t doing what I needed to be doing for my career.”
Concluding her statement, Mariah Carey noted at the time that she was in a “really good place” and has become comfortable speaking about her struggles with bipolar II disorder, adding that she does not allow the condition to “define” or “control” her.
