Elton John will hold what he has described as his “final farewell show” in Sweden this weekend as his tour comes to an end.
Billed as his retirement from touring, the megastar played his last UK date at Glastonbury festival last month and will bring the tour to an end on Saturday at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm.
The 76-year-old singer-songwriter has been travelling the globe on his marathon Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour since 2018 which has been paused at various points due to the pandemic and his own positive test for Covid-19.
John has performed for more than 50 years, which has featured tours with Billy Joel and on-stage collaborations with rapper Eminem, US country veteran Dolly Parton and actor Taron Egerton, who played him in the biopic Rocketman.
His headlining of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in June featured a crowd-pleasing set full of hits such as Rocketman, Tiny Dancer, Your Song and I’m Still Standing.
The veteran pop star also highlighted up-and-coming musicians such as Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama, US singer Stephen Sanchez and Jacob Lusk of Gabriels during his act, as well as paying tribute to his collaborator, the late George Michael.
When he has played throughout the world, Sir Elton has been watched by politicians such as French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden, who had him play on the White House lawn in September last year.
Celebrities like Paul McCartney, actress Kirsten Dunst, model Heidi Klum and actress Angela Bassett have also gone to watch the pianist.
John played his last ever North American tour show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles late last year, with the event live-streamed on Disney+ and featuring pre-recorded messages from famous fans.
Mr Biden, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Victoria and David Beckham, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Sting, Parton, Lil Nas X, Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, Billie Eilish, John Legend, The Killers, Ed Sheeran and Joni Mitchell all paid tribute to John.
The final show in Los Angeles saw guest appearances from British stars Dua Lipa and Kiki Dee, as well as US country legend Brandi Carlile.
The tour is also one of the highest-grossing concert tours since records began with Billboard reporting that it is the first to do $900 million (€820,000) worth of ticket sales, with John saying more than six million people have come to watch him.
John has experienced setbacks along the way, including announcing he had walking pneumonia, a milder form of the illness, in early 2020 in New Zealand and an ear infection in November 2018.
Announcing the end of his touring five years ago, John said his “priorities have changed”, adding that he and husband David Furnish’s two sons, Elijah and Zachary, had changed their lives.
He vowed not to do a “Cher”, adding: “This is the end”.
The musician is expected to continue working on making music after releasing his collaborations with Dua Lipa, Stevie Wonder, Britney Spears and Sheeran as part of his The Lockdown Sessions releases in 2022.
Sir Elton, a five-time Grammy-winning artist, has also contributed to the music of Billy Elliot the Musical, Gnomeo & Juliet, The Lion King and most recently Rocketman.
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
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