Thirty thousand fans from all over the world gathered at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm on Saturday evening to bid farewell to the British star for his final lap.
Promised, sworn, it was “the last of the last”. After more than half a century on the roads, Elton John put an end to his final tour on Saturday July 8, 2023 in Stockholm Farewell Yellow Brick Road in front of 30,000 fans from all over the world to say goodbye to him in the Swedish capital. “Playing for you was my reason for living, and you were absolutely beautiful“, he launched to a filled audience.
Two hours of show interspersed with thanks
Tailcoat enhanced with rhinestones, glasses with red lenses, the 76-year-old star with 300 million albums sold settled at the piano shortly after 8 p.m. to the cheers of the public, beginning his farewell show with one of his most popular songs, Bennie and the Jets. He then continued with philadelphia freedom And I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues in front of a conquered audience who wore sparkling blue or red glasses.
For more than two hours, the songs followed one another, interspersed with moments when the artist, leaving his piano and getting up facing the pit, thanked his fans but also his musicians and his team, some of whose members have been following him for more 40 years old. “JI want to pay tribute to these musicians“, he said. “They are really amazing (..) and they are the best“.
A little after border song dedicated to Aretha Franklin, I’m still standing saw the crowd gathered at the Tele2 Arena rise as one. Before the recall, Elton John had broadcast a message from Coldplay who was also playing that evening in the Scandinavian country, in Gothenburg (west) in which the singer Chris Martin thanked him for his career and his commitments.
330 concerts around the world in five years
With that last lap, “it’s an important chapter in the history of rock’n’roll that is coming to an end“, assured the Swedish daily Expressen. Saturday was the second consecutive evening that the stadium hosted the British star sold out for the last leg of this final tour which began five years ago and which was disrupted by the Covid-19 and a hip operation in 2021.
During this tour Farewell Yellow Brick RoadElton John gave 330 concerts, crisscrossing Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, playing in front of 6.25 million fans in total.
“I’m sad that he’s retiring but it’s good that he can enjoy his last years“, estimated Kate Budaj, an American fan who came especially from Kentucky in order to”to be there for the end because I was too young to be there at the beginning“However, Elton John has not said his last word, she hopes.”I know he’ll still be playing from time to time, he’ll be releasing new music so there’s still things to look forward to“.