Sir Elton John said an emotional goodbye to his fans as he ended his touring career in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday (08.07.23).
Sir Elton John said goodbye to his fans at the final show of his tour
The 'Rocket Man' star has decided to give up touring so he can spend more time with his family and he thanked his loyal followers for all their support over the years as he brought his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour' to a close five years after it kicked off in 2018.
Elton told the crowd at the Tele2 Arena: "I’ve had the most wonderful career, beyond belief. 52 years of pure joy playing music, how lucky am I to play music?
"But, ya know, I wouldn’t be sitting here and talking to you if it wasn’t for you. You bought the singles, the albums, the CDs, the cassettes, but more importantly, you bought the tickets to the shows and you know how I love to play live."
During the show, Elton also received a special message from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin who was also playing in Sweden with his band that night.
Martin told the 76-year-old superstar: "Elton, we wanna say, from all of us here, from all the bands and all the artists that you’ve loved and inspired and helped, we just love you so much. We love you so much. Happy retirement and we’re going to miss you so much, man."
Elton closed the final show of the tour with his hits 'Your Song' and 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'.
He later addressed the momentous moment in a statement released after the concert concluded, saying: "When we set off on my final tour in 2018, I couldn’t have foreseen in my wildest dreams the twists and turns and the highs and lows this tour – and the whole world – would have experienced in the next five years.
"And every step of the way, my fans have been there. They have stuck with me, they have supported me, they have been patient, and they have kept turning out for every single last show. Tonight has been magical. I’m trying to process it, and I don’t think it will sink in for a while yet that I’m finally finished touring. I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled me – it will stay with me forever."
Despite declaring he will never tour again, Elton has insisted it doesn't mean the end of live performances all together. The singer's husband David Furnish recently clarified that fans will get to see their hero on stage again in the future.
Furnish told Billboard: "It’s really important to make a distinction between Elton retiring from touring but Elton not playing his very last public performance for the very last time. I know for a fact he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’re going to see is the possibility of a special one-off or a small residency in one venue for a limited period of time."
Tagged in Chris Martin David Furnish Sir Elton John