Elton-John
Farewell to British stages in Glastonbury
In a gold jacket: Elton John says goodbye to his English fans.
© imago/PA Images
The performance delighted the fans, the guest stars less. Elton John performed on British soil for the last time at the Glastonbury Festival.
Elton John (76) has said goodbye spectacularly from English stages. 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 entered the main stage of the traditional festival 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 audience. Over 100,000 people are said to have attended Elton John’s departure from British stages. According to “The Guardians“Many of them had endured up to 17 hours to get a good place in the front rows.
“One hammer song after the other”: Elton John’s performance inspires
Elton John promised fans to play “one hit after another”. He kept that promise, at least according to the enthusiastic reactions of those who attended the two-hour gig. “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 hammer song after the other,” agreed Beverly Knight (50). “Most of us artists can only dream of a catalog like this. What a set. The legacy that Elton leaves us is immeasurable,” the singer also wrote on Instagram.
Guest stars disappoint after big speculation
The guest stars were less well received by commentators on social media. In the run-up there was speculation that Britney Spears (41) could appear with Elton John. Finally, she released the song “Hold Me Closer” with him last year. Dua Lipa (27) was also expected in Glastonbury, but John sang their hit “Cold Heart” alone. Other big names circulating ahead of the performance included Eminem, 50, and Harry Styles.
But things turned out differently. The four previously announced guests turned out to be one size smaller. Jacob Lusk (36) and Stephen Sanchez (20) were the first two guest stars. The two US singers were unknown to most fans, as the reaction to Instagram and Twitter showed. Somewhat more famous are Killers singer Brandon Flowers (42) and Japanese singer Rina Sawayama (32). 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.
Famous guests in front of the stage than on it
The ones in front of it were more top-class than the guests on the stage. Lewis Hamilton (38) was impressive. The Formula 1 champion took photos with Elton John’s husband David Furnish (60) and the two sons he has with the singer. Paul McCartney (81), who also played at the Glastonbury Festival, stopped by, as did Taron Egerton (33). The actor played Elton John in the biopic “Rocketman”.