- Sir Elton John played his first-ever Glastonbury festival set on Sunday – it also marked his last-ever UK gig
- The 76-year-old British musician is calling time on live touring
- His last gig will be in Stockholm on 8 July
- He’s one of the most influential musicians in the world and has enjoyed a music career, often defined by his incredible live performances, that have spanned decades
Farewell Sir Elton John: The British music giant plays his last UK gig
Sir Elton John is a titan in British music, with a career spanning decades and plenty of awards to showcase for his musical career. But on Sunday, Sir Elton played his last ever UK gig – 7 more concerts to go around Europe, and that’s it, Sir Elton’s touring legacy comes to a close.
But his debut at Glastonbury will have his fans, and music fans everywhere, hoping he might just get enticed back to the live music scene.
“It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve had the best, best time”
Sir Elton John
It’s not the first time Sir Elton has pledged to retire to only return not long after. But this tour – The Farewell Tour – has a sense of finality to it. So if it’s true and his touring days are soon to be behind him – he is 76 after all – what a performance to go out on.
The 120,000-strong crowd was treated to Sir Elton’s greatest hits. When addressing the crowd, he said: “I never thought I’d play Glastonbury and here I am.”
“It’s a very special and emotional night for me as it may be my last ever show in England, so I better play well and entertain you as you’ve been standing there so long.”
An audience of 7.3 million tuned in to watch live on BBC One.
Electric Glastonbury performance
Sir Elton kicked off his last UK gig with Pinball Wizard – a track he hadn’t played in over a decade, before throwing himself into the hit track The Bitch Is Back.
Dressed in a gold suit, sat behind his famous piano, he delivered a classic Sir Elton performance, from long beautiful renditions of Your Song and I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues to high energy, key slamming on songs such as I’m Still Standing.
His voice at times sounded a little weathered but was still effective enough to cut through the cold air with clarity and charm, unlike others.
Highlighted throughout his lustrous career is Sir Elton’s ability to shine a light on emerging talent. There was chatter about Britney Spears, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa joining him on stage, but true to form, Sir Elton brought on stage a new generation of musicians.
Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is now officially the highest-grossing tour of all time – pulling in around £697m ($887m). Following Glastonbury, Sir Elton will only have seven dates left, he’s wrapping up his live touring career in Stockholm on 8 July.
The final show will close out a touring career that has seen Sir Elton go from a young man at the Troubador in Los Angeles to a beloved British icon, known for his live performance, his energy, his costumes, his rock and roll.
Those who have seen him live have seen music history. Elton is eternal.
At the height of his career, he had a reputation for flamboyancy – feather boas, sequences, heels and more. But in the latter stages of his career, he toned down his style and performances – but he’s never lost his stage presence.
Glastonbury was a toned-down performance by Elton’s standard – but one that still pulled the largest Glastonbury crowd ever and millions watching on TV.
Jacob Lusk of US soul group Gabriels joined Sir Elton for a rendition of Are You Ready For Love; pop newcomer Rina Sawayama sang Kiki Dee’s parts during a rousing performance of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.
And Nashville’s Stephen Sanchez was even able to sing his own track, one Sir Elton had heard on the radio and “couldn’t believe a 19, 20-year-old could write a song like this.”
The only famous face taking the stage was The Killers’ Brandon Flowers who joined Sir Elton for a duet of Tiny Dancer. A performance so moving, TV cameras were able to find a proposal in the audience.
Whilst some have complained there was no Britney Spears on stage (she had reportedly been spotted at Bristol Airport – later found out to not be true) the fact Sir Elton chose to share the stage with emerging talent only solidifies why he’s the greatest.
His performance, and his choice of guests, were true Elton. A man with a deep love of music and a rock and roll image that has sustained a decades-long career.
After two hours of a trip down memory lane with one of the most influential musicians ever, Sir Elton’s set came to an end with an emotional rendition of Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. He dedicated the song to his friend and former collaborator George Micheal, who he described as “one of Britain’s most fantastic singers, songwriters [and] artists.”
“He was my friend, an inspiration, and today would have been his 60th birthday – I want to dedicate this song to his memory, and all the music he left us with which is so gorgeous,” he added.
And that was it. Sir Elton drew the curtain on a major chapter in his touring career, a longer version of Rocket Man echoed around as the fireworks went off.
He took a final bow and told his fans: “It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve had the best, best time,” he said, with a lump in his throat.
It was a perfect way to end his UK touring career, and with only a few stops left, it’s going to be an emotional few weeks.
Those who have seen him live have seen music history. Elton is eternal.