Sir Elton John will perform his last ever UK live show at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival, organisers announced.
The ‘rocket man’ will headline the festival’s legendary Pyramid stage as the final performance of his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour.
“Every week I speak to new artists on my radio show and Glastonbury is often cited as a pivotal moment in launching their careers,” he told BBC.
“The festival’s genuine, enthusiastic support for the best emerging talent is something I’ve long admired.”
The festival organiser, Emily Eavis, wrote on Twitter: “It gives me enormous pleasure to let you know that the one and only Elton John will be making his first ever Glastonbury appearance, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the Sunday night next year.
“This will be the final UK show of Elton’s last ever tour, so we will be closing the Festival and marking this huge moment in both of our histories with the mother of all send-offs.”
The string of 350 performances began over five years ago, but both COVID-19 and a hip injury have brought delays.
The singer wants to spend more time with his family, in particular his two children.
Elton has been with his husband, David Furnish, since 1993.
The couple were one of the first in the UK to enter a civil partnership in 2005, with the ceremony being held on the day the law came into force.
The couple later married in 2014, on the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership ceremony.
His last US tour dates were three shows at the Dodgers baseball stadium in Los Angeles, where he wore a sequined baseball uniform, referencing a costume from his 1975 show at the same venue.
The 75-year-old was joined by special guests including Dua Lipa, leading fans to speculate over what his Glasto performance will bring.
To my most magical friend @eltonofficial thank you for keeping the dream alive!!! It was an honour, a privilege and a joy to share the stage with you last night on your last show at the Dodgers Stadium. Thank you for everything, forever and always… pic.twitter.com/UWLx3EpEFQ
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) November 22, 2022
There are seven gigs left in the tour, but Sir Elton has said he is not opposed to doing future one-off shows.
He described his “dream thing” to the BBC in 2018 – a theatrical residency, which would give him the opportunity to play songs that are lesser known, rather than his greatest hits.
“I’ve sung these songs nearly 5,000 times, some of them, and although they’re wonderful songs, and I’m very appreciative of them, I’ve sung them enough,” he said.
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