Elton John thanks fans for ’52 years of pure joy as he wraps up his tour.
Elton John has officially retired from touring after more than 50 years on the road.
On Saturday, the famed singer performed his final tour act at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena, the last stop on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
“I’ve had an incredible career that is beyond words.” “How fortunate am I to have been able to play music for the past 52 years?” John, 76, told the audience as he performed “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
“But, you know, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if it weren’t for you. You purchased singles, albums, CDs, and cassettes, but more importantly, you purchased concert tickets, and you already know how much I like performing live.”
Following the concert, the five-time Grammy winner praised his followers for their unwavering support over the past five decades.
“My fans have been there for me every step of the way. They’ve stuck by me, supported me, have been patient, and have attended every single event,” he said in a post-show statement, according to Consequence.
“It’s been a beautiful night. I’m still absorbing everything, and I don’t think it’ll be long until I’m done touring. I can’t express how much I’ll miss the fans or how much their support has humbled me – it will live on in my heart forever.”
At one point during the occasion, the “Tiny Dancer” singer received a surprise message from Chris Martin, who was performing in Sweden with his band, Coldplay.
“Elton, we just wanna say, from all of us here, from all the bands and artists that you’ve loved, inspired, and helped, we just love you so much,” added Martin, 46. “We adore you to the moon and back. We wish you a happy retirement and will miss you tremendously, guy.”
John, who has been traveling since 1970, took to Instagram early Saturday to share a heartfelt message before the highly anticipated event.
“What a journey this tour has been, and now we find ourselves at the end of it,” he said. “Tonight is the final night.”
While John is no longer touring, he and his management have previously stated that fans can expect to see him perform in the coming years.
“It’s essential to distinguish between Elton retiring from touring and Elton not performing his very last public performance for the very last time,” John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, told Billboard last November.
“I know he’s not going on tour in any capacity.” What you’ll see is the possibility of a great one-time event or a brief residence in a single location for a limited period of time.”
