Sir Elton John's Glastonbury performance in pictures
It was the most fantastic send-off for the Rocket Man
Last updated 26th Jun 2023
Sir Elton John's Glastonbury headline set has been one of the most anticipated moments of 2023 so far - and boy, did he deliver! Captain Fantastic himself gave the performance of a lifetime - and that's saying something, given he's performed a seemingly infinite amount of concerts over the last five decades.
While two hours may seem a long set for most people, Sir Elton will have had a hard job fitting over 50 years of iconic hits into the set - doing his best to squeeze in all his biggest songs including 'Are You Ready for Love', 'Your Song' and 'I'm Still Standing' among many others.
Bringing out various guests over his two-hour set, Sir Elton was showered with love and adoration from the 200,000-strong audience. Whether you're a fan of the Rocket Man or not, his 21-song set is one of the most fantastic things that Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage has ever seen.
See Elton John's Glastonbury 2023 performance in pictures
'Pinball Wizard'
Sir Elton opened his Glastonbury set with a cover of The Who's 'Pinball Wizard'. Elton originally covered the song for the 1975 film Tommy which Elton reportedly hasn't performed since 2009. He then followed this with a powerful rendition of 'The Bitch Is Back'.
'Bennie and the Jets'
Fan-favourite 'Bennie and the Jets' was next with brilliant participation from the audience, followed by 'Daniel' and then 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', which of course has a more significant meaning now - given that Elton has announced he will be stepping down from touring and has just finished his mammoth 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' Tour.
'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues'
The visual effects throughout Elton's set were stunning, with the screen showing plenty of his most iconic appearances through the years - not only in terms of outfits, but also with clips from his film Rocketman featuring Taron Egerton. He then performed 'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues' followed by 'Philadelphia Freedom'.
'Are You Ready for Love' with Jacob Lusk and London Community Gospel Choir
The first of Sir Elton's special guests was Jacob Lusk, American Idol star and member of the band Gabriels. The pair gave a powerhouse rendition of Elton's classic 'Are You Ready for Love' alongside the London Community Gospel Choir, who stayed on to accompany on Elton's following track, 'Sad Songs (Say So Much)'.
David Furnish backstage
The next song was 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight', and Elton's husband David Furnish and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah, could be seen watching on from backstage as he gave the incredible performance. They were sat alongside F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and his director wife Sam Taylor-Johnson.
'Until I Found You' with Stephen Sanchez
Despite the short time frame in which to get all his biggest hits played, Elton allowed one of the slots to be taken up by Stephen Sanchez, an American singer-songwriter who found fame through TikTok, with Elton accompanying him singing his own song, 'Until I Found You'.
'Your Song'
Although Elton needs no backing whatsoever, there's something about a backing of 200,000 audience voices that really carried 'Your Song' into a different sphere during the performance.
'Candle in the Wind'
Elton's beautiful 'Candle in the Wind' was accompanied by video clips of Marilyn Monroe, whom the song was originally written about before Elton re-released the song in 1997 to be about his friend, Princess Diana, who tragically died that year.
'Tiny Dancer' with Brandon Flowers
He brought out The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers to sing 'Tiny Dancer' together, telling the audience how he'd met Brandon all the way back in the early Noughties when his band were preparing to release their debut and now-iconic album, 'Hot Fuss'. The pair crooned their way happily through 'Tiny Dancer' to the delight of the 200,000-strong Glasto audience.
'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' with Rina Sawayama
Elton performed his classic 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' with Rina Sawayama, originally sung with Kiki Dee. Rina, best known for hits like 'This Hell' and 'Hold The Girl', was championed by Elton in 2020. They've subsequently become close friends and he's become something of a mentor for Rina, like many other young artists.
'Crocodile Rock' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting'
Classics 'Crocodile Rock' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' came next on the set list, and the latter was hilariously accompanied by clips on the big screen of Elton's cameo in 2017 film Kingsman 2, where he high kicks the baddies to the ground with 'Saturday Night...' as the soundtrack to the brilliant moment.
'I'm Still Standing'
Survival anthem 'I'm Still Standing' came next, vehemently sung by Elton who proved that, at the age of 76, he most certainly was still going. This was followed by 'Cold Heart', a reworking of 'Rocket Man' in collaboration with Dua Lipa. Although she did not emerge from the side of the stage to sing with Elton, he employed the services of the audience to sing her section with him.
'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me'
Elton gave a beautiful tribute to his late friend, George Michael, who he'd duetted with on 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me'. The song was dedicated to George, as Elton movingly spoke about how he'd decided to approach the performance, given that Sunday 25th June would have been George's 60th birthday.
He said: "It's a very special day today. One of Britain's most fantastic singers, songwriters and artists was George Michael. He was my friend, he was an inspiration, and today would have been his 60th birthday. So I want to dedicate this song to his memory, and all the music he left us with, which is so gorgeous. This is for you, George."
Grateful to his fans
Sir Elton paused throughout the concert to tell stories about songs and express his gratitude to fans - especially saying how loved and appreciated he felt to see the audience members in their costumes of his greatest outfits through the years.
He said: "I want to thank you all for dressing up – it makes me feel loved. And I want to thank you also for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty that you have shown me. It's been an incredible journey and I have had the best, best time. I will never forget you – you are in my head, my heart and my soul."
'Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)'
Elton and his band finished the song with a stunning version of his signature song 'Rocket Man', which had an extended ending that seemed as though he and his guitarist were simply having the jam session of their lives. Beautiful.
The final bow
Sir Elton called out each of his band members, many of which had been performing with him for a very long time - especially one who'd been with him for over 50 years. A sad moment as we said goodbye to Elton's live shows, but what a way to bow out.
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