Elton John said goodbye to his English fans with a spectacular performance. The singer headlined the famous Glastonbury Festival on Sunday. It was probably his last concert in his home country. Elton John’s farewell tour ends on July 8, 2023 in Stockholm.
The superstar walked the main stage in proper style with a golden jacket and red sunglasses. “It might be my last gig in England, in Britain, so I want to be good,” he told the crowd. He thanked for “52 years of wonderful love and loyalty” and called out to the cheering fans: “I will never forget you.”
According to the BBC, an estimated 120,000 music fans had gathered at the site near Glastonbury. The British newspaper “The Guardian” reported that many of them waited up to 17 hours to get a good seat in the front rows.
Elton John promised fans he would play “one hit after another” during his two-hour gig. He was able to fulfill this promise – at least based on the enthusiastic reactions of the visitors. “A 76-year-old man knocks out one song after another on the piano that everyone knows. An absolute musical legend,” wrote a fan as an example on Instagram.
“One killer song after another. Most of us artists can only dream of a catalog like this. What a set. The legacy Elton leaves us is immeasurable,” wrote the British singer Beverly Knight on Instagram.
The guest stars were less well received by commentators on social media. In the run-up there was speculation that Britney Spears could appear with Elton John. Finally, she released the song “Hold Me Closer” with him last year. Dua Lipa was also expected in Glastonbury, but John sang their hit “Cold Heart” alone. Other big names circulating ahead of the performance included Eminem and Harry Styles.
The four previously announced guests turned out to be one size smaller. Jacob Lusk and Stephen Sanchez were the first two guest stars. The two US singers were unknown to most fans, as the reactions on Instagram and Twitter showed. Somewhat more famous are Killers singer Brandon Flowers and Japanese singer Rina Sawayama. The latter released the song “Chosen Family” with Elton John in 2021. “When selecting my guests for this show, I wanted to focus on inviting newer artists,” John explained during his performance.
Those in front of the audience, including Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, were more top-class than the guests on stage. The 38-year-old snapped photos with Elton John’s husband David Furnish and the couple’s two sons. Paul McCartney, who also played at the Glastonbury Festival, stopped by, as did Taron Egerton. The actor portrayed Elton John in the 2019 biopic Rocketman.
