The Rocketman went out with a bang! Elton John’s final “farewell” tour performance in England was watched by 7.3 million viewers on Sunday night .
The 76-year-old rocker’s live BBC broadcast from Glastonbury Festival became one of the most-watched TV shows of the year.
Overnight ratings data determined that his three-hour set doubled the amount of viewers for Diana Ross’s headline gig last year. An estimated live audience of over 120,000 people watched him perform on the Pyramid Stage at the famous festival in southwestern England.
Banging the keys and belting out the lyrics of songs from his prolific catalog — such as “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Philadelphia Freedom” — John’s was also the most-watched Glastonbury performance overall across the weekend on the BBC. Singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez and The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers joined him onstage.
“I’m so happy to be here,” John said from the stage, the BBC reported. “I won’t ever forget this.”
The 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer previously stated that Sunday night would be his final tour performance.
“As the end of my ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour’ comes into view, there is no more fitting way to say goodbye to my British fans,” the five-time Grammy winner said as the Glastonbury headlining gig was announced in December 2022. “They have been beyond brilliant, and have supported me through all the highs and lows of my career.… I can’t wait to embrace the spirit of the greatest festival in the world.”
John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” originally kicked off in September 2018 in Pennsylvania with a plan to stop in over 300 cities worldwide. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was suspended in 2020 with the trek resuming in New Orleans early last year.
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