Donned in a shiny gold suit and red-tinted glasses, Elton John opened his set with The Who‘s Tommy hit, “Pinball Wizard,” and kicked off his final concert in the UK at the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday (June 25).
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Celebrating his more than 50-year career, the 76-year-old rocker plowed through his 20-song set, giving the audience some of his biggest hits, including “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and “Tiny Dancer,” the latter performed with Brandon Flowers of The Killers.
More classics followed, including “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues,” “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” “Candle in the Wind,” “Your Song,” and his 1974 hit “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me,” which he dedicated to his late friend singer George Michael, who would have turned 60 on June 25.
Fueling the celebratory night, which included additional special guests, including Rina Sawayama, who took on the Kiki Dee role for a duet of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” John shared a more orchestrated “Are You Ready for Love,” featuring American Idol alum Jacob Lusk and the London Community Choir, along with a performance of Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You” sung with the 19-year-old Nashville-based singer and songwriter.
The audience was also filled with more notable attendees, including Paul McCartney, who headlined the festival in 2022, and Eminem, among many of the Glastonbury performers and headliners looking on.
During his performance, John hinted that Glastonbury “may” be his final show in the UK before closing his set with his 1972 classic “Rocket Man” (see performance below) as fireworks went off over the festival.
John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour will come to a close this summer with the last concert of his career taking place on July 8, 2023, at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
“It’s a very special and emotional night for me, because it may be my last show ever in England and Great Britain,” said John at Glastonbury. He added, “I want to thank you also for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty that you’ve shown me. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve had the best, best time.”
Elton John’s Glastonbury Set List (June 25, 2023):
- “Pinball Wizard”
- “The Bitch is Back”
- “Bennie and the Jets”
- “Daniel”
- “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
- “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues”
- “Philadelphia Freedom”
- “Are You Ready for Love” (with Jacob Lusk and the London Community Choir)
- “Sad Songs (Say So Much)”
- “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
- “Until I Found You” (with Stephen Sanchez)
- “Your Song”
- “Candle in the Wind”
- “Tiny Dancer” (with Brandon Flowers)
- “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (with Rina Sawayama)
- “Crocodile Rock”
- “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
- “I’m Still Standing”
- “Cold Heart / Sacrifice”
- “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me”
- “Rocket Man”
Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage
